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.
Rubio sanctions Cuban groups with ties to US nonprofit network funded by communist donor Neville Roy Singham
New Jersey man accused of killing wife with barbell allegedly confessed in messages to relatives: report
Trump announces ‘rally to end all rallies’ in DC to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary
Feds say US citizen gathered information on American targets for Chinese Communist Party
AOC dodges questions on abuse allegations, Nazi tattoo claims rocking Platner’s campaign
18 House Republicans defy Trump to pass Ukraine aid package headed for veto fight
CA City Puts up Cameras in 18 Locations, Catches Citizens Breaking the Law 151,000 Times in Just 1 Month
Watch: Trump Sets the Record Straight on His Explosive Conversation with Netanyahu
Video: Karmelo Anthony Supporters Scream Racial Slurs at White Demonstrator Outside Courthouse
‘He hated women’: Explosive abuse, new Nazi tattoo allegations from exes rock Platner’s campaign
‘I Would Rape Them to Show Them I’m Dominant’ – Graham Platner’s Campaign Won’t Dispute Shocking Quote in NYT Report
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire could undermine Hezbollah and Iran with state-to-state cooperation
Hunter Biden could mount a successful White House bid given recent Democrat picks: Trump
BREAKING: NYT Drops Graham Platner Domestic Violence Bombshell Report – Scared, Left Marks, Wrenched Arms, According to Ex-Girlfriend
Woman’s body washes ashore in Florida as investigators dig into beach discovery
“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.
