Why it’s time to stop ignoring Australia’s Supply Chain Workers

By Brian Hack

With skills shortages continuing to dominate all sectors of the Australian economy, it’s more important than ever to ensure our supply chain is well resourced, in order to avoid a return to the significant delays and congestion of previous years.

I think it’s fair to say that before the pandemic hit in 2020, most people hadn’t given much thought to the global supply chain and how it operates.

However, as world-wide lockdowns resulted in the supply chain all but grinding to a sudden halt, people found themselves forced to pay greater attention to exactly where consumer goods come from, and how they end up either on store shelves, or delivered directly to the front door.

Whether it be food on supermarket shelves, consumer goods in shopping centres, or your online shopping haul arriving directly to your home, these items only arrive due to a number of professions - including seafarers, port workers, bio-security inspectors, truck drivers and freight-forwarders.

With Western Australia’s unemployment rate sitting at 3.4% in September, and the national rate only slightly higher at 3.5%, it makes sense that the Government is trying to encourage workers to the state.

But, for all the discussion around boosting hospitality staff, and getting people out into the regions to assist the agricultural sector during harvest, where is the push to get more workers back into the supply chain?

Pandemic-related layoffs, vaccine mandates and the increasing cost of doing business has seen the freight and logistics industry lose highly experienced workers over the past two years, and while some of those people may have been replaced, it takes time to rebuild the required knowledge and expertise.

Add to this an overall shortage of staff, and it suddenly starts to make sense as to why there remains some delays and bottlenecks throughout the supply chain, even as COVID-related restrictions are removed.

Ignorance about how the supply chain functions can no longer be an excuse for ALRTA’s call for a self-insurance scheme for rural carriers received national media attention recently. ALRTA representatives pitched the concept during an Australian Senate Committee public hearing into preparedness to deal with a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.

The ALRTA proposal was for a Rural Transport Management Deposit Scheme which would help deal with FMD risk, as well as other business shocks such as drought, fire, floods, COVID-19 and fuel price increases.

The ALRTA said it is pleasing that their proposal is being talked about and will continue to advocate for it with government and industry stakeholders.

anyone, especially as there’s now an entire generation who have only ever known the convenience of making purchases online.

Consumers have a responsibility to better inform themselves about how the supply chain moves items around the globe, and how a lack of staff can and will slow down processes across sea, land, and air freight.

My concern is that as life starts to look increasingly like it did ‘pre-pandemic’, supply chain workers are once again at risk of becoming invisible.

Whether it be a truck driver, customs broker, quarantine inspector or ship’s Captain, it’s time to recognise these workers as playing an essential role in our community, whether that be through a Government funded awareness campaign, or greater public recognition for workers in the sector.

We rightly encourage our young people to take up a trade or university qualifications, but I say we can do that AND also encourage more workers into the supply-chain, knowing their roles are valued and appreciated by all.

Brian Hack is the Managing Director at EES Shipping, one of Australia’s major international freight forwarders, based in Cockburn, WA. Brian is one of three brothers at the helm of operations, with EES Shipping also playing an extensive role in the promotion and development of overseas markets for Australian manufacturers and suppliers. Brian is also the WA freight forwarding representative on the WA Port Operations Task Force.