Sydney - The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said yesterday it had decided to keep its bans on all cargoes between Australia and Indonesia in place.
The bans would be reviewed on a day-to-day basis with the next review today, the MUA deputy national secretary, Mr Paddy Crumlin, said. About A$50 million (almost £24.7m) to A$80 million worth of cargo was now held up around the Australian coast involving four to five vessels, with the pile-up likely to cause storage problems by tomorrow or Thursday, Mr Crumlin said.
"We've made a determination that we're not going to lift any sanctions until there are clear indications that the human rights abuses and the slaughter up there have stopped and the situation is back under control," Mr Crumlin said.