Operational Newsletter (various)
240/02 - 2015
Dear Valued Clients,
US West Coast ports go into shut-down mode
The big news from the US is that 29 West Coast ports were expected to
temporarily suspend cargo operations Thursday, 12th February and on
Saturday, Sunday and Monday thereafter, according to the Pacific Maritime
Association (PMA).
The decision, reported Container Management, was made after recent
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) work slowdowns proved
too costly.
This industrial action (or “inaction” might be more appropriate) stopped the
movement of billions of dollars’ worth of goods – and no long-term solution had
yet been identified.
Source: FTW Online, 13h February 2015
Norway Winter Storms
Winter storms have led to closed railways between Oslo and Bergen;
Trondheim and Bodø and Ofotbanen to Narvik. Several roads are also closed.
The distribution of shipments from Oslo to other areas of Norway is proving
difficult and a minimum of 24 hour delays can be expected.
Source: Schenker Germany, 12th February 2015
Pilots' Union Calls Two Day Strike at Germanwings
Pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has called a two-day strike at
Lufthansa's Germanwings short-haul budget airline as a long-running row over
retirement benefits and the airline's low-cost expansion plans enters a new
year.
The pilots said the strike would run from midnight local time on the night of
Wednesday February 11 until 23:59 on Friday February 13.
The VC pilots staged 10 strikes last year, affecting hundreds of thousands of
passengers.
Source: Airwise News, 10th February 2015
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Operational Newsletter (various)
Germany’s Hamburg airport shuts terminal as strike leads to
overcrowding
Germany's Hamburg airport temporarily shut its terminal building on Monday
morning after a strike by security staff caused overcrowding.
The airport said police closed the doors for two hours after queues of up to five
hours for security checks built up.
The 24 hour strike was called by trade union Verdi as it tries to increase
pressure over stalled wage negotiations in three German federal states.
Security staff are also on strike at Stuttgart and Hanover airports throughout the
day.
Stuttgart airport said on its website passengers should expect waiting times of
between 1.5-2 hours for security checks, while the smaller Hanover airport said
there were no delays.
Source: Reuters, 9th February 2015
A deal to break US west coast gridlock
An offer has been made to longshore workers by the Pacific Maritime
Association (PMA).
This, said international press reports, is a bid to end the nearly nine-months of
deadlock on contract negotiations and severe congestion at major US west
coast ports following three months of go-slows.
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) yesterday said it
was “extremely close” to an agreement with port employers.
ILWU president Robert McEllrath was quoted as having said: “We’ve dropped
almost all of our remaining issues to help get this settled – and the few issues
that remain can be easily resolved.”
Source: FTW Online, 6th February 2015
New rules affect citrus exports to Malaysia
Malaysia has amended its citrus import protocols and this will affect South
African shipments in 2015, according to the Citrus Growers’ Association.
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Operational Newsletter (various)
All exporters will now need an import permit, phytosanitary certificate,
quarantine certificate and inspection by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries, as well as possible inspection on arrival in Malaysia.
Source: FTW Online, 5th February 2015
SAA cancels direct India flights
SAA will be redirecting its flights to all Indian destinations via Abu Dhabi with
effect from April 1, the airline has announced.
The airline will service destinations in India through its new direct service to Abu
Dhabi with onward code-share agreement connections with Etihad and Jet
Airways into the sub-continent.
The cessation of direct flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai will stem
substantial losses, the airline said.
Source: FTW Online, 5th February 2015
Spain snowfall disrupting traffic
Bad weather and snow in all around Spain, mainly in Catalonia and northern
and central Spain has caused heavy traffic disruption. Delays of all domestic
line hauls and collection/ distribution trucks are expected. Furthermore, several
places of unloading or loading might be closed or not reachable.
Source: Schenker Germany, 4th February 2015
Warning of near white-out conditions in Chicago
Washington - A potent winter storm stretching across all or parts of more than
20 US states prompted a blizzard warning for Chicago, while other areas dealt
with snow or a wintry mix of snow and rain.
The National Weather Service in Chicago said the blizzard warning would
remain in effect until midnight (06:00 GMT on Monday). The city and several
surrounding counties were expecting snowfall measuring between 25 and 40cm
and winds gusting up to 66km/h.
The storm also caused the cancellation of more than 2 000 flights, according to
Flight Aware, a web-based flight tracking service.
Source: News24.com, 2nd February 2015
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Operational Newsletter (various)
Tanzania Ports Authority plays hardball with defective trucks
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has announced a ban on sub-standard
trucks at the Dar es Salaam port.
Effective on February 12 this year, all trucks entering the Dar es Salaam port
will be inspected, and if vehicles do not meet criteria they will be refused entry,
said port manager, Awadh Massawe in a statement.
Source: FTW Online, 2nd February 2015
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