DP World’s freight activity in Australia halves as strikes hit

DP World Plc’s freight handling at Australian ports halved on Tuesday because of labor strikes, setting back the company’s efforts to get through an enormous container backlog caused by a cyberattack.

The maritime trade giant said it moved just 2,661 containers in and out of Australia yesterday amid union bans on loading or unloading trucks and trains at Sydney and Fremantle. 

The company shifted almost 5,400 containers the previous day across its Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Fremantle terminals. 

A hack on DP World on Friday and a subsequent shutdown over the weekend left 30,000 containers waiting to be distributed. With more strikes planned this week and next, the company is weighing options to get back to normal operations. DP World manages almost 40% of the goods flowing in and out of Australia.  

Freight deliveries are running about two weeks behind schedule, a spokesman said by phone. DP World has said it may take weeks for normal services to resume.

According to a schedule of planned strikes, Maritime Union of Australia members plan a full-day work stoppage in Sydney on Friday. More bans on loading or unloading trucks and trains are scheduled at all four ports on various days next week.

The union is seeking better pay and conditions for workers and says it’s striking because DP World refuses to negotiate.