Australian dock workers are calling for a 28-hour work week with no loss of pay as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies are increasingly introduced across the country's ports. The push for AI adoption is led by port logistics giant DP World, which the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) says has placed workers' jobs "in the crosshairs".

The union stated, "If DP World wants AI and automation, then they must pay the social dividend. The new technology doesn't have to cost our members their jobs or put their livelihoods at risk just so a terminal operator can boost profits."

DP World, headquartered in Dubai, is testing AI tools to manage employees and work schedules, according to a study commissioned by the MUA and conducted by the Centre For International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research. This automation program reportedly threatens up to a thousand jobs, representing more than 60% of the dock and maintenance workforce. The company has also proposed AI-assisted remote-control cranes and driverless vehicles.

The union emphasized that technology "should be used to improve workers' lives, not destroy them," and reiterated its call for a 28-hour work week in a statement dated 3 July.

Currently, DP World dock workers are believed to work around 32 to 35 hours weekly, varying by location, as reported by the Australian Financial Review, which first covered the negotiations. Last year, DP World's Asia Pacific chief executive Glen Hilton noted the company's use of AI across ports in the region to manage increasingly complex supply chains.

The BBC has reached out to DP World and the MUA for further comment.

Sources

  • BBC World
  • Australian Financial Review
  • Centre For International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (commissioned by MUA)