Australia

Australia Port Workers Press for 28-Hour Week Over Automation

Would this protect workers from AI or will automation create more jobs than it destroys?

Published JUL 8

Australia Port Workers Press for 28-Hour Week Over Automation

Story

Above: The Port of Brisbane in Brisbane, Australia, on Oct. 6, 2010. Image credit: Eric Taylor/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Facts

Australian dock workers represented by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) have demanded a 28-hour working week with no loss of pay as the port operator DP World expands the use of AI at its Australian terminals, according to the Australian Financial Review (AFR) on Tuesday.
Australian Financial Review
BBC News
It follows a statement published by the union on social media last week, declaring that "if DP World wants AI and automation, then they must pay the social dividend." The statement characterized the demand as "key" for those "whose jobs are in the crosshairs of AI and automation."
Maritime Union of Australia on Facebook
According to the AFR, DP World dock workers in Australia currently work 32 to 35 hours a week, depending on their location, with crane drivers earning a base salary of A$175,000 under the union enterprise agreement.
Australian Financial Review
Bloomberg
DP World, however, notified MUA in October 2024 that it intends to replace human-operated trucks with driverless sensor-driven vehicles and remote-controlled rubber-tyre gantries, while simultaneously transitioning to using AI-assisted remote-controlled cranes.
Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research
The plans have subsequently been a source of consternation, holding up DP World's automation program for 18 months, even though the technology has yet to be introduced. Brisbane is the only one of four Australian terminals to have an announced implementation date — February 2027.
Australian Financial Review
People Matters
The union claims that the proposals could threaten up to 1,000 Australian jobs at the company, equivalent to more than 60% of DP World's 1,800-strong wharf and maintenance workforce, though the firm strongly denies this figure.
Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research
Australian Financial Review

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

For over a decade, DP World has paid no corporate income tax, and now it wants to pad shareholder returns even further by automating away 60% of its Australian workforce. This exploitation cannot be allowed to proceed, which is why, if DP World is committed to its AI proposals, it must implement a 28-hour workweek with no pay cut to give workers the bare minimum they deserve.

Maritime Union of Australia on Facebook

Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research

Narrative B

History is crystal clear: every major wave of automation has created more jobs than it killed — AI will be no different. The MOU's demand for a 28-hour workweek is a redundant solution to a problem that re-skilling and smarter talent pipelines will address.

Gartner

The New York Times