The mood of transport operators has soured further, with Port Otago warning the container terminal could be closed for 16 hours from 3pm on Friday in the expectation of a repeat of the "go-slow" by workers, last Friday, which delayed for 12 hours the sailing of the 4100 series container vessel Maersk Dunafare.
Port Otago commercial manager Peter Brown said in a letter to transport operators that with another 4100 container ship due on Friday, it was giving advanced notice of a possible "co-ordinated go-slow by staff".
Under normal circumstances, Maersk Dunafare would have been turned around in 24 hours and Port Otago had rostered appropriate staff, Mr Brown said.
It was obvious last Thursday afternoon additional shifts were needed to complete the container exchange, but all staff declined to work overtime at the same time as the go-slow was implemented.
The container terminal was then closed to free resources to complete the container transfer.
The Maritime Union of New Zealand Port Chalmers secretary and national president, Phil Adams, said no industrial action was planned for this Friday. Workers were not working to rule, but to conditions of employment.
Cargo handlers and port management are in dispute over plans to introduce a new flexible shift, which unions claim would create uncertainty with people required to work as and when ships arrived.
Northern Southland Transport container supervisor Paul Tobin said the industrial action was proving costly, with four of his trucks having to wait seven hours last Friday to collect containers.
The port company gave transport operators four days to move the containers before charging them $50 a day storage. But Mr Tobin said after last Friday's delays, the port was closed from 1pm on Saturday, before being reopened on Monday. Work had compounded because of the delays.
Mr Brown said two of the days available to clear containers were working days and delays were such that the company saw no need to be lenient with storage charges.
Mr Tobin said Port Otago was holding all the cards, with the transport sector having no say.
Tulloch Transport container co-ordinator Tony Melrose said while container turnaround was back to normal this week, he urged port workers to stop industrial action. All business faced tough times.
"Something needs to get sorted so we can all move on," he said.
