 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011
Australia: Are wharfies strikes a return to the bad old days?
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Stalled negotiations between Patricks Stevedores and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) have resulted in a series of rolling strikes by MUA members demanding higher wages.
Patrick has hit back at an MUA proposal it says would result in a nearly 200 percent increase in employment costs, reports The Australian.
Patrick would not, "be held to ransom by a union that appears to be returning to its old ways, flexing its muscle and entering into coercive strike behaviour in an attempt to force us into agreement,” Bulk and General Operations General Manager Warwick Sommer told The Australian.
The MUA is pushing for an increase in permanent staff, claiming casuals make up nearly 60 percent of Patrick’s workforce. It also disputes Patrick’s employment cost projections, and says Patrick has made no attempt to reach an agreement over the past seven months.
"The rolling strikes currently being ... | >> full
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2011
Ship operators urged to properly secure their cargo
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is urging shipping operators to regularly check and replace their container lashing equipment as a result of an incident involving the Hong Kong-registered container ship ‘Pacific Adventurer’.
On March 11, 2009, ‘Pacific Adventurer’ lost 31 containers overboard during severe weather and large swells off Cape Moreton in the Australian state of Queensland. As the unsecured containers went overboard, they holed two of the ship's fuel oil bunker tanks. This caused the ship to leak 270 tonnes of bunker oil into the sea, which reportedly affected 70 kilometres of Queensland's coastline.
The ATSB investigation into the incident found that much of the ship's loose and fixed container lashing equipment, which is meant to secure the containers to the ship, was in poor condition. In addition, the inspection and replacement regime of this equipment had not been effectively implemented.
ATSB Chief Commissioner, Mr Martin Dolan, said ... >> full
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011
Pride International launches ‘Deep Ocean Mendocino’
Pride International has dedicated and accepted delivery of the ‘Deep Ocean Mendocino’, the third new deepwater drillship to be added to the Pride International fleet, during a ceremony at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in South Korea.
The ‘Mendocino’ is expected to mobilise to the US Gulf of Mexico and commence a five-year contract with a subsidiary of Petroleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) during the second quarter of 2011, following the completion of integrated testing and acceptance by the client.
‘Mendocino’ is one of five new drillships in Pride's deepwater drillship expansion program with SHI. The first two drillships, the ‘Deep Ocean Ascension’ and ‘Deep Ocean Clarion’, were delivered by SHI in 2010. Both rigs are preparing to commence five-year contracts with BP, with ‘Ascension’ expected to mobilise to the Mediterranean Sea, while ‘Clarion’, currently in the US Gulf of Mexico, is preparing for final testing and commissioning. The ... >> full
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