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.
US ‘locked and loaded’ to destroy Iran’s ‘crown jewel’ ‘if we want,’ Trump warns
Airline Companies Around the World Hike Prices in Response to Iran War
Georgia DA Set to Drop Charges Against Teenagers Following High School Coach’s Tragic Death
Former Southern Baptist president enters hospice care at 68
Dem candidate’s unearthed ‘winter Texan’ comment could haunt campaign
Iranian top official shares why he thinks President Trump started attacking country and more top headlines
Hawaii Dem reveals why she stayed seated during Trump’s viral SOTU moment about prioritizing Americans
Japan’s Takaichi prepares to lobby Trump for ‘Golden Dome’ cooperation, stability on trade and defense
US is ‘steadily destroying’ Iran’s ‘most essential’ war tools: Report
Iranian women’s soccer team captain becomes latest member to withdraw asylum bid
Former substitute teacher and boyfriend face 38 child sex charges as bond nears 9 million
Arizona man who admitted to crucifying pastor asks for death penalty so ‘we can move on with our lives’
TSA Accuses Democrats and Their Shutdown for Absurdly Long Security Lines
Woman Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Gun to Kill Trump
Panama Canal Braces for Rise in Traffic Amid Iran War
“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.
