[020221.EN.BIZ] Covid Crisis Surge Hurts Productivity at LA and Long Beach Ports

 

RISING docker infection rates have contributed to a reduction in terminal productivity at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach while cargo-handling activity won't be interrupted, reports IHS Media.

There have been more than 600 known cases of the coronavirus at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as 12 deaths since December 1.

"Longshore workers have been working every day through the pandemic to keep cargo moving despite the exposure to a life-threatening virus they face every day," said International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) coast committeeman Frank Ponce De Leon.

Longshore workers are showing up more than five days a week, while terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach will continue to receive enough labour to handle record volumes.

There are 12,000 registered and casual ILWU workers in Southern California, meaning there's enough labour for many cargo-handling activities.

"However, full work gangs can be dispatched only if there are enough longshore workers that have been trained to operate the cranes that move containers within the terminal yards. Those crane operators lift containers into and out of the stacks and onto trucks. Yard crane operators have been in short supply since the port complex was inundated with imports last summer," said Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) president Jim McKenna.

The shortage of trained equipment operators is due to abnormal cargo volumes at the two ports since late June.

"There are huge challenges getting labour with this high demand. It's never been more challenging to operate a warehouse," said Mr McKenna.

Source : HKSG.