Australian dock workers seek 28-hour week in AI talks

Australian dock workers are demanding a 28-hour work week with no loss of pay as DP World expands the use of AI and automation across the country’s ports. The Maritime Union of Australia said the port logistics giant must deliver a “social dividend” if it wants to introduce new technology, arguing that workers’ jobs and livelihoods should not be put at risk to increase profits.

A study by the Centre For International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, commissioned by the union, said DP World is testing AI tools to manage employees and work schedules. It described the automation programme as part of a wider push into operations “without genuine consultation” and said it threatens up to a thousand jobs or more than 60% of the dock and maintenance workforce.

The study also said DP World has proposed AI-assisted remote-control cranes and driverless vehicles. DP World dock workers are believed to currently work around 32 to 35 hours a week, depending on location, according to the Australian Financial Review, which first reported the negotiations.

DP World handles around 40% of Australia’s container shipments and moves containers through ports including Sydney and Melbourne. The Dubai-based operator has operations in 84 countries and more than 126,000 employees worldwide, and its Asia Pacific chief executive said last year that AI is becoming essential to managing complex supply chains.