Port Congestion 丨 Week 33 Line-up Update Chittagong Port Congestion Peaks as Indian Ports Gear Up for Strike! 港口拥堵丨33周line-up 吉大港拥堵，印度港口将罢工！

Chittagong Port Crisis: Port Congestion Causes Ship Delays with Economic Losses of Up to $1.5 Million 

吉大港危机：港口拥堵导致船舶滞留，经济损失高达150万美元

Chittagong Port is undergoing a critical congestion crisis that is severely impacting shipping operations. A Panama-flagged vessel, carrying goods imported from Colombo, arrived at the port’s outer anchorage on August 4. However, as of August 12, the ship remains unable to dock due to severe congestion, leading to high demurrage charges up to $1.5 million.

吉大港正面临严重的拥堵问题，导致船舶无法及时靠港卸货。以某悬挂巴拿马旗的船只为例，该船运载从科伦坡进口的货物，于8月4日抵达吉大港外锚地。然而，由于港口严重拥堵，该船至8月12日仍无法靠港，滞留费用预计将达到150万美元。

The congestion is attributed to the port’s closures during quota reform periods, which have extended docking delays from one day to over a week. Additionally, the time required for unloading has increased from 48 hours to more than 96 hours, further compounding the congestion problem. The backlog at the port’s berths is affecting unloading efficiency, and delays in moving containers from the yard to the port are worsening the situation.

造成该港口拥堵的根源在于该港口在配额改革运动期间关闭了两次。一个月前，船舶通常可以在抵达外锚地后一天内靠港，但现在船舶往往需要等待超过一周才能完成靠港作业。不仅如此，以前，船舶的装卸工作通常在48小时内完成，而现在这一过程已延长至超过96小时。港口泊位的拥堵使得卸货工作难以按时完成，集装箱从堆场到港口的输送延迟进一步加剧了拥堵。

Overloaded Container Yard 

集装箱堆存量超标

As of August 12, the container yard in Chittagong Port is operating at 53,518 TEUs, exceeding its ideal capacity of 30,000 to 32,000 TEUs. The overload reflects the broader issue of container storage at the port.

当前，吉大港的集装箱交付量远低于正常水平。截至8月12日，吉大港堆场的最大储存能力为53,518 TEU，理想状态下需要保持在30,000至32,000 TEU的水平，而该堆场内存储的集装箱却达到43,941 TEU。

Export Container Backlog 

出口集装箱积压

Recent increases in export volumes have overwhelmed inland container yards. Data reveals that by August 12, the number of export containers has surpassed 15,000 TEUs, double the normal level of around 8,000 TEUs. The surge has strained container storage and handling capacities.

过去一周出口量增加使得内陆集装箱堆场的存储能力受到挤压。据相关数据表示，8月12日，出口集装箱的数量已经超过15,000 TEU，远高于过去两年的正常水平（约8,000 TEU）。这使得集装箱堆场不堪重负。

Delays in Container Delivery 

集装箱交付速度放缓

Merchants report that delays and reduced volumes in container delivery are led by political unrest, insufficient traffic police on roads, and the reopening of some factories. The situation is expected to stabilize in a few days, but immediate action is needed to mitigate the congestion crisis.

贸易商表示，政治动荡、道路上缺乏交警以及部分工厂重新开放都对集装箱交付产生了影响，集装箱交付量有所减少，预计集装箱交付恢复正常还需几天时间。

In conclusion, Chittagong Port’s current congestion crisis is causing significant disruptions to operations and economic losses. Prompt intervention is necessary to alleviate the congestion and restore normal port activities. 

总的来看，吉大港的严重拥堵问题对港口的运营和经济造成了显著影响，各方需尽快采取措施以缓解这一危机，恢复正常的港口功能。

Major Port Workers in India Announce Nationwide Strike 

印度主要港口工人计划举行全国罢工

India’s major port workers have declared an indefinite nationwide strike starting on August 28, 2024, to demand immediate wage and allowance revisions, including pension benefits. The planned strike follows the expiration of their wage agreement on December 31, 2021.

印度主要港口工人计划于2024年8月28日开始无限期罢工，他们希望立即解决工资和包括养老金福利在内的津贴的修订问题。据有关报道，此次罢工计划是在现有工资协议于2021年12月31日到期后提出的。

The strike decision was made by the National Coordination Committee after a meeting in Tuticorin. Union representatives stated that the Major Port Workers’ Federation submitted a charter of demands on September 5, 2021, but over the past 31 months, the Bipartite Wage Negotiation Committee (BWNC) has failed to reach a conclusion on key issues.

全国协调委员会在图图科丁召开会议后，决定采取工业行动，包括罢工。工会表示，主要港口工人联合会于2021年9月5日提交了共同要求清单，但在过去31个月中，双边工资谈判委员会（BWNC）并未能就重要问题达成结论。

The unions have expressed dissatisfaction with the Shipping Ministry’s new guidelines imposed on the BWNC’s negotiation process, which they argue are unprecedented in previous negotiations. The unions are demanding a return to the previous negotiation practices, with key issues including wage scale adjustments, protection of current benefits, and payment of arrears.

除此之外，航运部对双边工资谈判委员会（BWNC）谈判程序施加指导方针，然而这些方针在以往的谈判和解决过程中从未有过，此举引发了工会的强烈不满，工会要求按照以往谈判方式解决工资问题。此次罢工的诉求包括工资等级修订、适用福利、现有福利保护、过去协议执行、物价津贴中和以及拖欠工资支付等。

Union leaders have also highlighted the lack of engagement from the Ministry of Shipping on port and labor issues over the past five years, noting that such discussions were previously held quarterly. The strike has become inevitable due to the delays in wage revisions, disputes over productivity linked reward (PLR) payments, and reductions in union rights.

工会还表示，过去五年中，航运部没有就港口和劳工相关事务进行任何讨论，而在过去，至少每三个月会召开一次讨论会以解决问题。由于工资修订延迟、生产力奖励（PLR）支付问题、法定协议未实施、工会权利和特权缩减等原因，此次罢工已成为必然。

The strike is expected to disrupt port operations marked by aggravated port congestion and inefficient cargo handling, which could lead to delays in shipping and reduced port throughput.

此次罢工可能对港口运营产生重大影响，尤其是在港口拥堵方面。随着罢工的进行，货物装卸和港口服务将受到严重干扰，可能会导致航运延误和港口处理能力的下降。

This nationwide strike is poised to have a substantial negative impact on the operations and efficiency of India’s major ports, and urgent action is required to prevent further disruptions and economic losses. 

总的来看，此次全国范围的罢工将对印度主要港口的运营和效率产生深远的负面影响，港口管理部门需尽快采取措施，以避免进一步的冲击和损失。