Productivity down to five containers an hour, writes
Ed Richardson
EXPORTS FROM Port Elizabeth have been hit by ongoing labour problems at Portnet.
Goods bound for Europe have been left in the Port Elizabeth container terminal following a go-slow by container staff.
Particularly hard hit have been exports of refrigerated cargo, which are more time-sensitive than the vehicles and components that are being routed through Port Elizabeth.
Frustrated by a loading rate of just five containers an hour, ships have left before completing their loading, or have simply by-passed the port.
Shippers warn that delays for those who decided to keep ships in harbour in order to complete the loading and unloading of the ships will have repercussions for the Eastern Cape and broader South African economy for weeks to come.
With productivity at just five containers an hour, compared to the usual 18 an hour, it took 15 hours to discharge 120 boxes off a Kien Hung ship while other cargo vessels lay idle in the roadstead. It costs around 80 000 dollars a day to run a Big White.
Some of the shipping lines are now running behind schedule and could run into problems delivering components to East London for the Mercedes Benz export programme in two to three weeks' time.
In Port Elizabeth itself the Delta Motor Corporation is understood to have suffered production problems due to delays in the port.
Portnet has admitted that there are problems. In a statement it says the Port Operations Division is experiencing a go slow in the PE Container Terminal due to an internal problem.
Management is currently negotiating with members of the relevant trade unions. It is affecting our business in that the container handling rates are very low. Container ships are waiting outside the port pending the outcome of the negotiations.
All attempts are being made to resolve this issue.
While production returned to normal on Thursday after nearly a week of delays, there is concern that the problems will flare up again.
Shippers interviewed by FTW were despondent and angry. Importers' problems are being compounded by a customs clamp-down which has seen cargo delayed for up to a week.
One importer had to pay an additional R7 000 to customs for unpacking and packing the container and for storage.
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