OOCL diverts ships from Hong Kong as dockers continue two-week strike
HONG KONG's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has cancelled 12 calls at Hong Kong, directing outbound cargo to be loaded on other companies' vessels or from other Pearl River Delta ports, the company announced.
Inbound cargo has been discharged at other ports as far apart as Ningbo and Singapore from where it is to be transshipped by feeder to its destination at a later time.
While ships have to wait at anchor between one and three days, April is in the slack season and there is extra space aboard ships from Chile's CSAV and Singapore's APL and others, which have taken on OOCL outbound cargo.
Hongkong International Terminals (HIT), whose facilities have been targeted by the striking dockers, said they were operating at 80 per cent capacity, and the Hong Kong Shippers Council has agreed with that assessment.
At the same time HIT said workers were returning to work, but the company's subcontractors have offered a seven per cent increase to strikers and HIT offered to provide five more toilets on the quay.
Said HIT: "We encourage proper hygiene. Any time any worker would like to go to the toilet, he can inform the control tower for arrangements of cars to take him."
But talks at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals broke down with the offer of a seven per cent rise, after Wing Fung Stevedoring and Transportation company the day before had mentioned a "possible" 12 per cent increase.
The dockers stuck by their original demand of HK$100 extra per shift, which amounts to 17 to 24 per cent more in wages depending on varying circumstances.
The strikers said it was "highly likely" they would not accept a seven per cent rise, but contractor Everbest Port Services said "nothing is impossible" when asked if there was room for adjustment, reported the South China Morning Post.
Global Stevedoring Service representatives quit the meeting when strikers went for a toilet break, said the report.
"We can't see their sincerity from this proposal," said strike organiser Stanley Ho.
Said Everbest's Dick Wong: "We need to assess our operating costs. [The seven per cent offer] is not final yet. We will discuss it again later."
Mr Ho said they might escalate the strike, but would not elaborate, said the SCMP. About 500 dockers walked out on March 28 with the support of the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU).
The Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, which were not party to the walkout, were to meet the same contractors. No further talks have been scheduled with the CTU.
HONG KONG's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has cancelled 12 calls at Hong Kong, directing outbound cargo to be loaded on other companies' vessels or from other Pearl River Delta ports, the company announced.
Inbound cargo has been discharged at other ports as far apart as Ningbo and Singapore from where it is to be transshipped by feeder to its destination at a later time.
While ships have to wait at anchor between one and three days, April is in the slack season and there is extra space aboard ships from Chile's CSAV and Singapore's APL and others, which have taken on OOCL outbound cargo.
Hongkong International Terminals (HIT), whose facilities have been targeted by the striking dockers, said they were operating at 80 per cent capacity, and the Hong Kong Shippers Council has agreed with that assessment.
At the same time HIT said workers were returning to work, but the company's subcontractors have offered a seven per cent increase to strikers and HIT offered to provide five more toilets on the quay.
Said HIT: "We encourage proper hygiene. Any time any worker would like to go to the toilet, he can inform the control tower for arrangements of cars to take him."
But talks at the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals broke down with the offer of a seven per cent rise, after Wing Fung Stevedoring and Transportation company the day before had mentioned a "possible" 12 per cent increase.
The dockers stuck by their original demand of HK$100 extra per shift, which amounts to 17 to 24 per cent more in wages depending on varying circumstances.
The strikers said it was "highly likely" they would not accept a seven per cent rise, but contractor Everbest Port Services said "nothing is impossible" when asked if there was room for adjustment, reported the South China Morning Post.
Global Stevedoring Service representatives quit the meeting when strikers went for a toilet break, said the report.
"We can't see their sincerity from this proposal," said strike organiser Stanley Ho.
Said Everbest's Dick Wong: "We need to assess our operating costs. [The seven per cent offer] is not final yet. We will discuss it again later."
Mr Ho said they might escalate the strike, but would not elaborate, said the SCMP. About 500 dockers walked out on March 28 with the support of the Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU).
The Federation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions, which were not party to the walkout, were to meet the same contractors. No further talks have been scheduled with the CTU.