Over 60 dockers in Melbourne have been fired after refusing to unload a container vessel carrying Chinese-made medical supplies. The Xin Da Lian vessel docked at the DP World terminal at the Port of Melbourne on Tuesday night. However, the Maritime Union of Australia said that the vessel was “in breach of the federal government’s 14-day coronavirus quarantine period” as it had stopped at a Taiwanese port on March 19, which is less than 14 days.
Thus, the wharf laborers refused to unload the supplies as they believed it posed a “risk to workers and the community”. Their actions went against the directives of their superiors. DP World Australia’s chief operating officer Andrew Adam said that the ship was cleared by the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment’s biosecurity team.
Adam further noted, “The union is not allowed to unilaterally declare a vessel unsafe. They are not allowed to create their own set of rules.” DP World added that the 14-day rule is only applied to ships coming from mainland China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. 14 days had already elapsed since the ship left China–as it left Shanghai on March 17–and ships leaving from Taiwan are not subject to the 14-day quarantine period.
Warren Smith, the union’s assistant national secretary said, “It is ridiculous that these workers have been stood down and had their livelihoods threatened for standing up and doing the right thing.” He added that all vessels arriving from overseas ports should be quarantined for 14 days.
The Xin Da Lian holds chemicals for soap and detergent manufacturing, medical supplies, surgical masks, gloves, surgical gowns, lab coats, and hairnets. Aside from medical supplies, it is also carrying canned food and ‘white goods’, or large domestic electrical appliances.
There are now over 4800 coronavirus cases in Australia, with 20 deaths.
Dozens of Australian Dockers Fired for Refusing to Unload Chinese Vessel Carrying Supplies
The Xin Da Lian is carrying medical supplies, canned goods, and ‘white goods’.
April 1, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA