The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has received notices from the Community and Public Sector Union (CSPU) that some employees of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection including the Australian Border Force, who are members of the union, will take part in protected industrial action at various work sites over 7-8 December 2015. Please note that this has just been amended to also include the dates of the 10th & 14th – 17th December and now the 18th of December.
The latest information on this industrial action can be found on the Department’s website.
To ensure the Department can maintain the highest standards of safety and security, some delays to cargo are unavoidable while PIA is in progress. However, the Department is continuing to implement appropriate contingency measures, as we’ve done before, and these arrangements will ensure priority cargo is appropriately managed, and impact on industry is minimised as much as possible.
Part of these contingencies involve bringing in staff from other areas of the Department to cover shortages, ensuring that priority cargo is released as soon as possible, and constantly monitoring the situation to keep processes running as smoothly.
Please note that CPSU members working in critical national security functions have been excluded from participating in industrial action and redeployed staff are only assigned duties they’re trained to perform. During PIA, the health, safety and security of the public and our staff continues to be our priority.
Should your container be selected for the CEF (container examination), you may experience several days of delay in cargo release from the terminal. This is obviously less than ideal for those who require stock in the lead up to the festive season. Additional stevedore and shipping line fees may apply due to these delays.
Please take note of these dates and ensure that delays and possible additional costs are factored into your cost of business.
Should you have any difficulties please talk to EES personnel immediately.
