Port strike leaves cruise ships stranded at sea in Western Australia's north
Cruise boat workers are pulling together to hand-load cargo and transfer passengers in small boats after strike action at the Port of Broome shuts down operations.
The Port of Broome in Western Australia is facing a two-week strike by stevedoring and maintenance workers, which is disrupting cruise ship arrivals to the popular tourist destination. The dispute centers around wages and conditions, with the Kimberley Ports Authority (KPA) and workers failing to reach an agreement. Tenders and provisions have been used to ferry cruise ship passengers to shore, while provisions are loaded by hand onto ships.
This is the second major industrial action in the state's north in less than a week. The strike has affected both of the port's terminals and impacted cruise ship passengers on luxury tours of Western Australia’s remote north. Cruise boat owners are concerned about the impact on the tourism industry and small businesses in the Kimberley.
The KPA has stated it will continue negotiations with the union and the Fair Work Commission to resolve the outstanding issues.
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