the Port of New York and New Jersey because they are preventing it from relocating.

Bermuda Container Line -- which owns and operates the Oleander -- wishes to take its operation to Salem, New Jersey where operation costs are cheaper.

However the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) -- the dock workers' union -- and the New York Shipping Association Inc. (NYSA) -- representing employers -- have joined to block the move.

Container Ship Management president Geoffrey Frith said the move would put the Oleander on a level playing field with its chief competitor Bermuda Islander which already operates out of Salem.

But the ILA and the NYSA obtained a grievance ruling against BCL from their joint board -- the Local Industry Grievance Committee -- and blocked the move.

The matter was appealed through an Industry Appellate Committee which endorsed the committee's decisions and agreed BCL could not move.

The appeal committee's decision gave BCL only three months to apply to the US Federal Court to have the grievance committee vacated.

Mr. Frith said BCL also took the matter to the National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) to try and have it resolved.

He said the court action could take a long time to go through various proceedings and it was possible the NLRB could rule on it before then.

If it was to rule favourably, he continued, then BCL could go ahead with the move.