DP World maritime workers stood down after refusing to unload container vessel from China
Maritime workers at the Port of Melbourne have been stood down after refusing to unload cargo such as toilet paper and medical supplies off a container vessel from China. But their employer says the ship has been cleared to dock.
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Medical supplies, food and even toilet paper have not been unloaded off a container ship from China amid a standoff between the maritime union and the operator.
Dozens of maritime workers at the Port of Melbourne were stood down this morning after refusing to remove containers from the ship due to fears about coronavirus and quarantine.
The Xin Da Lian arrived into DP World’s Melbourne terminal about 10pm on Tuesday but the company’s wharfies – who are required to board the ship to unload it – refused to do so.
Border Force is understood to have provided approval for the ship to be dealt with, after it left Shanghai March 17, but workers told the Leader it had also docked in Taiwan on March 18.
Wharf workers said that, because the vessel also stopped in Taiwan, a 14-day quarantine period should be observed before they board the ship.
The workers, who are refusing to leave the port this morning, said there were other duties they could perform that didn’t involve boarding the ship.
DP World said the ship was carrying critical imports such as medical supplies and had been cleared to dock by Australian Border Force.
A worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said staff had refused to board the vessel due to health and safety fears.
He said they wanted assurances that no crew on-board had the virus and the ship had abided by all government and health department regulations.
He said they couldn’t unload the vessel without going on board.
“We don’t want to go onto that vessel and bring the coronavirus home to our families,” he told the Leader.
“But the vast majority of cases have been brought in from overseas.
“The importance of our job is not lost on anyone, we’re the link in the supply chain everyone needs.
“We have no intention of stopping anything, we just want to know it’s safe.”
He said the stevedores would be in close contact with the crew while on-board.
Australian Border Force regulations for commercial vessels during the COVID-19 outbreak allow ships to berth in Australia at any time but all crew on those arriving within 14 days of their last international port of call must remain on-board while docked.
If they need to disembark to conduct essential vessel functions they must wear personal protective equipment.
The crew must also use PPE in the ship’s public spaces while non-crew members are on-board.
The restrictions apply until 14 days have passed since the vessel departed the last foreign port before Australia, unless crew are unwell or there was a suspected coronavirus case on-board.
DP World chief operating officer Andrew Adam said Xin Da Lian had been cleared to berth by ABF.
“The directions are very clear, and we don’t make the rules … any crew members aboard a vessel that has been to mainland China, must have been at sea for 14 days before they are allowed to dock in Australia,” he said.
“It has been out at sea for 14 days. The union is not allowed to unilaterally declare a vessel unsafe.”
Mr Adam said workers citing coronavirus related safety concerns was a “disservice to the Australian public”.
He said their priority at all times was to keep trade flowing, including food, medicines and other vital supplies, and maintain the health and safety of their employees and the community.
The Maritime Union of Australia said allowing the vessel to breach the quarantine period was too great a risk.
MUA Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith said workers had been “thrown on the street” because of their concerns about COVID-19.
“They have asked for the quarantine period to be respected, which is not an unreasonable request considering where the community is at,” he said.
Mr Smith said it was vital to protect workers.
“The largest cluster of COVID-19 cases in Australia was the result of inadequate measures put in place for the arrival of ships,” he said.
“Wharfies don’t want to see a repeat of that blunder on the waterfront, but we still see ships allowed to dock inside of quarantine periods in breach of Australian Government Department of Health guidelines.”
Mr Smith said it was critical that there was no outbreak of the virus on the waterfront.
“You end up breaking down really vital supply chains, which are the only things keeping supplies (running) to the hospitals and supermarkets going. We recognise our role at the moment. We haven’t stopped work and we won’t stop work during this crisis.
“Having said that, we just want protections put in place. An outbreak of COVID-19 on the waterfront would have a devastating impact on Australia’s supply chain given 98 per cent of imports arrive by sea.”
Police confirmed they were called to DP World’s McKenzie Rd office just before midnight on Tuesday night after reports of an industrial dispute and crew disembarking an international cargo vessel and entering the CBD.
Leading senior constable Kendra Jackson said officers spoke with staff and established no one had departed the vessel and were aware of the requirement for them to remain on board for the duration of docking.
“No breaches of the peace or offences were detected,” she said.
A Department of Home Affairs spokesman said all crew on-board the container vessel must remain on-board until Thursday, when their 14-days isolation period ended.
“The period maritime crew spend at sea prior to their arrival in Australia counts towards the 14-day period of self-isolation,” he said.
“Although significant travel restrictions are in place, we are keeping essential goods and services moving, particularly through our cargo ports.”
But he said the cargo was not subject to the same restriction and DP World was responsible for its movement of the cargo on and off the vessel.
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