Industrial action taken at Sydney’s Port Botany in December last year has led to legal action being initiated by stevedore DP World against the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and two of its senior officials.
DPW is suing for losses it says it incurred during the industrial action on December 18 and 19.
A preliminary judgment has been handed down by the Federal Court dealing with procedural matters, which shows that the stevedore is seeking unquantified reparation for costs relating to storage fees at Port Botany payable by shipping lines which were waived because of delays moving cargo through the terminal; landside payment penalties incurred as a result of rail and road transport delays; storage fees at other ports which were waived by DPW because vessels had been delayed leaving Port Botany; wages paid out for work on delayed vessels; and additional costs incurred in looking after refrigerated cargo.