A report by the World Economic Forum predicts that global supply chains could suffer irrevocable damage in the near future. Unless immediate steps are taken to address its vulnerabilities.
It’s not just an LA thing: cargo ships all over the world are caught in a traffic jam. These giant toasters of the sea, laden with everything from consumer goods to construction material to food, have been stuck outside the harbor for weeks now. According to shipping companies and port authorities alike, it’s because of a change in policy by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). More ships than ever are waiting to unload and load goods due to long backlogs and an increase in nationwide imports and exports nationwide.
This article explores the often neglected reality that all of our global supply chains rely on several people who do not always receive the freedom to move and restore them with vaccines. According to the Executive Director of Marine Exchange of Southern California, there are majorly 153 ships inclusive of all types are at the terrifying jam on both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on 21 September 2021. It is also 20% higher than the historical average of 800 ships. This means that we are currently seeing a more than 2% increase in cargo vessels off the coast of California and they can’t unload.
Due to this, the global supply chain is already shaken up as there is no proper treatment given to workers, which is why this pressure is building up at the highest. There are numerous containers at the waters which have not been uploaded yet. There is a huge shortage of trucks and truck drivers going on. The drivers are not available at the ports to pick up the goods and deliver them. This resulted in a shortage of essentially needed products like electronics, fuels, medical, and also the products which were imported from abroad. The demand has been overwhelming since all this hustle has started.
Global supply chain and human workers
As the world’s supply chains are made more efficient by computers and robots, it is also getting harder for human workers to find jobs. This pandemic has already taken a lot of things from the people and now is so all business houses and governments. In this scenario of the pandemic, the workers are not getting proper treatment.
This situation is probably going to urge worse, not better. This means they’re not getting benefits like freedom of movement of workers and providing them with vaccines which World Health Organization declares.
Business restrictions
As pandemic has hit the global supply chain, it is leading to a disrupted trading supply chain. These have led to overcrowded ports, significant delays in deliveries, massive fly-in freight rates between the main routes of ships in China, the Us, and Europe. All these restrictions have made businesses locked out, and now everything is messed up.
Numerous vaccinations and many tests at times
There is an inconsistency in the requirement of seafarers. It is resulting in multiple vaccinations to many seafarers. This situation is happening because there is a requirement for a specific vaccination in a particular country.
There is no standard set for the people out there. According to the resources, a person has been vaccinated six times. This is not acceptable at all. There has to be a standard set for these people.
There has been an unequal distribution of vaccines globally; the reports claim that 25-30% of seafarers worldwide. Some of them are based in India and the Philippines, and most of them are fully vaccinated.
Coronavirus testing is a big deal. It is not an easy task to test every person. Many countries like Germany have exempted people from entering without any PCR. These affected many drives, truck drivers, particularly in Italy and Austria region. They have to stand in a queue for many days to get themselves tested. There were no medication and food availability for drivers in the way.
Final note
Seafarers are the people who run the shipping industry globally. Yet, they have not been prioritized with all the basic needs. Coronavirus outbreak has shaken up the global supply chain, and governments should set a standard and should definitely try to sort all the things as soon as possible.
According to other reports, these can be false news flashing all over the internet. The port has declared that there is a traffic jam at both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach due to the shortage of space in the port garage. According to them, there is no space left for more ships to place them, and due to which the questions have been arising about the delay in unloading and also in the delivery of the good their final destination.
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