LYTTELTON Port Company (LPC) has sought to re-assure customers it is doing its best to work around disruptions at its container terminal, where implementation of new stevedore employment arrangements is being resisted.
Lyttelton Container Terminal users have been warned uncertainty my continue until February, as the Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union protest port company plans to eliminate 24 full-time foreman and at least 20 relieving foreman covered by a collective agreement, and replace them with 21 new roles on individual agreements.
Maersk Line announced this week that it is reviewing current and future Lyttelton calls by its Southern Star and J-Star services in light of the industrial action.
In a Customer Notice copied to DCN today, headed Operational Update Maintaining Safe and Efficient Operation during Terminal Transition, LPC said: “We want to keep you informed about the current situation impacting container vessel operations and ship turnaround times at Lyttelton Port.
“While other services, such as coal handling and the Inland Port, remain unaffected, loading and unloading container vessels are experiencing delays. This is short-term as we transition to a new leadership structure in the container terminal, supporting positive change and growth, and recruiting and training new team members to meet strong cargo demand,” LPC said.
“Recruitment and training are a priority, and we are making good progress; however, there are some short-term impacts on service levels.
“What we’re doing:
“We appreciate your patience during this transition period and will keep you updated as we implement these enhancements. If you have specific scheduling concerns, please contact your LPC representative.
“Your support helps us keep cargo moving and maintain the reliability that Canterbury and the South Island depend on. Thank you for your understanding and partnership.”
The situation in Lyttelton is likely to be exacerbated by off-window services ex-Asia and weather delays that are causing almost daily notifications from container lines of rotation changes and port omissions on the NZ coast.