Upwards of 60 Australian longshoremen were stood down Tuesday after they refused to unload a container ship from China.
The Xin Da Lian docked at the DP World terminal in the Victoria state capital of Melbourne after leaving Shanghai on March 17. Union organizers claim the ship may be contaminated with coronavirus and should instead be held in quarantine.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) says the vessel is in breach of the federal government’s 14-day coronavirus quarantine period after visiting a Taiwanese port on March 19 during its voyage Down Under, local outlet News.com reports.
Workers say shaving two days off the quarantine period is “a risk to workers and the community” and those who refused to unload the vessel over concerns about the risk of the coronavirus were sent home.
DP World Australia chief operating officer Andrew Adam says the ship was cleared to berth by the Australian Border Force.
Agitators Sabotage Winter Olympics Opening, Throw Fireworks as Police Fight Back with Water Cannon, Tear Gas
Federal appeals court upholds Trump mass detention policy for illegal immigrants
Sheriff leading Guthrie investigation spotted at basketball game as family pleads again with alleged ransomers
Anti-ICE agitators arrested at federal building in Minneapolis after lewd objects hurled at law enforcement
Tulsi Gabbard denies wrongdoing over delayed whistleblower complaint referral to Congress members: ‘Baseless’
Nicki Minaj fans say they’re leaving Democrat Party as rapper’s politics spark backlash and praise
Newsom Investigates After Reports of Anti-Trump Social Media Censorship (Where Was He When Twitter Banned Trump?) Then the Embarrassing Truth Hit
Calm amid chaos: Noem defies calls to resign, touts border victory as shutdowns, storms, and riots swirl
This Senate Democrat wants voter ID for his campaign events — but not federal elections
Ellen DeGeneres Comes Crawling Back to US After Fleeing Post-Trump Victory, Buys $27 Million California Mansion
Virginia Democrat gives profanity-laced response to Cruz’s criticism of the state’s redistricting push
Trump Admin Discovers ‘Staggering’ Billions Stolen in Suspected California Small Business Fraud
Two teens arrested after 15-year-old shot near Washington DC’s Union Station
Bishop Ronald Hicks replaces Dolan as Archbishop of New York with installation at St Patrick’s
Trump Announces ‘Clues’ Found in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance: ‘We Could Have Some Answers’
“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 in a statement on Wednesday.
“The union is not allowed to unilaterally declare a vessel unsafe. They are not allowed to create their own set of rules.”
MUA national assistant secretary Warren Smith said it didn’t want to see a repeat of Sydney’s Ruby Princess cruise ship debacle where the vessel was allowed to send all its passengers ashore without screening after it had docked.
“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 in a statement as reported by local outlet 7News.
“What’s the difference with this ship?”
Story cited here.
