Australian Port Strikes to Affect Ocean Shipping, Report Says

The Maritime Union of Australia has planned several strikes this month at an Australian port that are expected to “severely” affect the ocean shipping industry, a ports trade publication reported Feb. 15. Workers are protesting the increasingly “automated status” of the Victoria International Container Terminal at the Port of Melbourne, the report said. The strike could significantly affect a port that handles 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year and lead to costly delays for certain ships.