[040413.EN.SEA] Hong Kong Dock Strike Prompts Diversions, 60-hour Berthing Delays

THE week-long strike at Hong Kong's Kwai Tsing terminals continues as Hutchison International Terminals (HIT) refuses to have direct talks with the dockers for the pay rise after a court ruling banned them from entering the terminals.

A containership needs 60 hours to berth from only three hours before the industrial action, reported the Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

The dockers have complied with the court order and moved to the pavements and the roads outside the terminals to protest against HIT's reluctance to negotiate.

Backed by the Labour Party and students, they demand that their hourly wages be increased by HK$12.5 from about HK$50, said the strike organiser the Confederation of Trade Unions. Workers refused earlier to accept a five per cent pay rise offer.

HIT, which is controlled by Li Ka-shing, claims that the strikers are employees of its stevedores, and not Hutchison staff, but as Hutchison pays the stevedores the dockers see little difference.

The strike has started to impair Hong Kong's status as the world's third largest port. Carriers have started to take action to berth their ships in neighbouring ports. Taiwan's Evergreen said in a statement that it has moved at least three vessels after more than 10 ships suffered from severe delays.

Shippers in Hong Kong have urged the workers to stop the strike. The vice chairman of the Shippers' Council Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung says this would increase the freight costs.

The Labour and Welfare Bureau is blamed for not taking proactive actions to solve the present impasse.

Source : HKSG, 04.04.13.