Delays in Aust, increase N.Z. costs

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 4

Delays in Aust, increase N.Z. costs

Shipping reporter Delays at Australian ports are resulting in higher costs for New Zealand importers, exporters, and carriers, according to a report by the manager of the Lyttelton container terminal, Mr P. G. Morgan. In a special report to the Lyttelton Harbour Board, Mr Morgan said that at least 70 per cent of the volume handled by the terminal arrived via Australian ports and that delays there added significantly to costs. “For example,” he said, “the latest problems in Australia delayed the arrival of the container ship Flinders Bay into Lyttelton by 46 days. Her original arrival date was December 16 and she berthed on January 31.” Tasman cargo, particularly that of the Union Steam Ship Company, had also been severely disrupted during December and January.

The present amount of work at the container terminal was a result of late arrivals from Australia and

had meant significant extra costs being incurred by the terminal to provide the extra resources required. “The basic problem on the Australian waterfront is one of too many unions being involved in the cargo-hand-ling process and the resultant demarcation disputes.”

The board’s industrial officer, Mr J. Crichton, had compiled a list which shows that five New Zealand unions cover the work of at least 23 Australian equivalents.

“A further salient factor that is emerging in Australia,” said Mr Morgan, “is the increasing influence that small numbers of skilled tradesmen can have upon the industrial scene when sophisticated handling equipment is involved.” The Australian situation, he said, “Reflects the,continuing need to minimise the number of unions involved on the New Zealand waterfront.”

Mr Morgan cited a recent article published in “The Weekend Australian Maga- r zine” which cites figures showing that Australia in 1980-81 accounted for 53.45 per cent of the world’s strike delays. The magazine said that more than 100 ships had been waiting in or off the main ports of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Fremantle recently. In addition, there were an estimated 50 ships held up off the coal ports of New-

castle and Port Kembla. The magazine said that some estimates by the commercial community asserted that the over-all losses from waterfront delays reached as high as $lOO million a day. The article also said that the Australian Federal Transport Minister (Mr Hunt) has said that there had not been a single day this year which had been free of strikes affecting at least some sector of shipping. The Lyttelton terminal, said Mr Morgan, handled 14 container ships between November 1 last year and January 26 this year. The best rate of container handling (28.83 per gross hour) was achieved aboard the ACT 6, which arrived on January 11.

The second best rate of 25.55 containers per gross hour was achieved aboard the Jervis Bay in late November.

“During the latter part of January,” said Mr Morgan, “the terminal facilities, particularly the reefer (refrigerated), were stretched to the limit. At one stage over 500 containers of refrigerated cargo were being held at the facility and it is pleasing to report that this record peak in work load was handled efficiently and without delay — thanks to the excellent co-operation and assistance of the waterfront unions concerned.”