Patrick, P&O settle collusion case

AUSTRALIAN stevedores Patrick and P&O Ports have settled a collusion case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over the jointly-owned vehicle handler Australian Amalgamated Terminals.

Charges against four former senior executives were dropped as were those of collusion and price-fixing but the companies’ successors, Asciano and DP World, will each pay the ACCC A$1.9M ($1.53M) in acknowledgement they breached competition law.

The ACCC was heavily criticised over the case, with the companies saying their only failure was to not seek formal clearance for AAT, which had been in existence in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for many years with full knowledge of the regulator. DP World said it had settled the matter because prolonging it was not in the company’s commercial interest. AUSTRALIAN stevedores Patrick and P&O Ports have settled a collusion case brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over the jointly-owned vehicle handler Australian Amalgamated Terminals.

(Source: Fairplay)