Round-the-clock work gangs spring into action

Durban outlines recovery plan THE RECOVERY plan for Durban Container Terminal will involve 12 gangs working ships around the clock, seven days a week, with a 13th gang available for overtime. A second mobile crane will go into service by mid-October, bringing the number of waterside gangs to 14. Last week's strike also impacted on rail operations, and by Friday (4 October) nine trains were waiting to offload and load containers for ships, of which some were already on the berth. Two rail gangs are at work on the rail side with a third on standby, and trains are being prioritised to run in tandem with the working of ships. Other recovery plans include the option of diverting ships to East London, Port Elizabeth or Cape Town, although this has only happened in one or two cases so far. However, self-geared ships are being diverted to other terminals in Durban. Road haulers are being requested to remove containers from the terminal as quickly as possible and depots advised they might need to extend their hours of business to facilitate this. Shipping lines have been asked to reduce maintenance such as painting while on berth.