Australian ports threatened by tugboat lockout

Tugboat operator Svitzer will lock striking workers out of key Australian coal, grains, iron ore, metals and minerals export ports from midday local times on 18 November, disrupting shipments and supply chains that deliver key equipment to the nation's resources and energy projects.

The move follows two years of industrial action over pay and conditions by the Maritime Union of Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers and the Australian Maritime Officer Union.

The lockout will affect ship movements at the New South Wales (NSW) ports of Newcastle and Port Kembla, both of which export coal, grains, steel and other minerals. It will follow a four-hour work stoppage by unionised workers at Port Kembla on 16 November and a 24-hour stoppage at Newcastle on 17 November.

Workers will also be locked out of the coal and grains port at Brisbane in Queensland where work stoppages occurred on 12 November and 13 November. The key Queensland coal ports of Hay Point, Dalrymple Bay, Abbot Point and Gladstone are unaffected.

The lockout will also disrupt grains shipments from the Western Australian (WA) ports of Geraldton, Kwinana, Albany and Esperance, where around 1.5mn t/month of wheat, oil seeds, lupins and barley are allocated to be exported from a bumper WA harvest over the next year. Geraldton and Esperance also ship iron ore, minerals and fertilisers, with Geraldton shipping 16.4mn t of commodities in the year to 30 June 2022. Industrial action is planned for Albany, Kwinana and Geraldton on 17 November ahead of the lockdown. The Pilbara iron ore, mineral and LNG ports are unaffected by the dispute.

The ports of Adelaide and Port Pirie in South Australia, Melbourne and Westernport in Victoria, Eden and Sydney in NSW and Far North Queensland in Queensland will also be affected by the lockout, with minerals exports from most and grains from some.

Svitzer employs 1,079 people in Australia, including more than 500 seafarers that complete over 40,000 harbour tug jobs annually, according to the firm.

By Jo Clarke