DP World, based in Dubai, is the world’s fourth largest and Australia’s largest port terminal operator. It is also making a lot of profit.
But since October it has refused to negotiate a decent enterprise agreement with maritime workers at terminals in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) wants a two-year deal, which includes 8% per annum pay rises, with no trade-offs to conditions.
Just before Christmas DP World broke off talks with the MUA.
After six days of bargaining — meetings the MUA had to force the company to attend through the Fair Work Commission — an in-principle agreement had still not been reached, the MUA said on December 13.
MUA assistant national secretary Adrian Evans said the company had “dragged their feet”.
“The MUA have been bargaining with Dubai Ports since March 2023 with very little movement,” Evans said.
The MUA suspended its protected industrial action while there was progress in negotiations “and we had hoped to reach an in-principle agreement”.
He said the company “has been mired in delays, backlogs and congestion” at their four terminals “caused by their mismanagement of mission critical IT systems which were the subject of a major cyber attack in November”.
“They are now seeking to blame hard-working wharfies, who had offered to revert to processing containers using pen and paper during the cyber-attack.”
Wharfies are asking for a pay rise that keeps up with the cost-of-living crisis.
“As a consequence of DP World’s dogged undermining of the bargaining process, which will now enter its ninth month, workers are left with no option but to recommence lawful, legitimate and reasonable protected industrial action … to get an agreement in a timely manner.”
After three days of talks, the MUA said on January 11 that DP World was not interested in negotiating in good faith.
According to the union, DP Ports management started each day saying “No, No, No” to non-contentious clauses. The MUA said it would stop work at four ports and ban overtime.
The Fair Work Commission on January 13 dismissed DP World’s bid to force the union to suspend its legal protected industrial action.
The MUA said DP World wants to “slash wages by reducing penalty rates for various weekend shifts, public holidays and overnights”.
The union opposes any attempt to “remove key safety clauses under the guise of productivity improvements”, as ports are busy and dangerous.
DP World also wants to change workers’ conditions by insisting that workers show medical certificates on the same day as their illness; not paying public holiday or weekend rates for 7-day shift workers; underpaying wages; and having the ability to direct workers to take annual leave, without any consultation.
DP World controls 40% of Australia’s container ports and pays no corporate tax here. It recorded $13.73 billion in global revenue, a 14% year-on-year rise in the first half of 2023.
Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus criticised Opposition leader Peter Dutton on social media on January 15 for backing “the Royal families of Dubai over Australians”. “Dubai Ports … is putting up prices [by] 52% for Australian businesses and wants a 14% pay cut for Australian workers.”
“The MUA will not tolerate this blatant mistreatment of our members by this international, multibillion dollar company,” the union said.
“We will also not allow them to tell us what Australian workers should accept for wages and conditions when their track record overseas is so poor.”