Key facts
- Australian dock workers are demanding a 28-hour work week with no reduction in pay.
- The demand is in response to DP World's expansion of AI and automation in its Australian ports.
- The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) stated that AI implementation should not jeopardize jobs or livelihoods.
- A study commissioned by the MUA suggests DP World's automation program could threaten over 60% of the dock and maintenance workforce.
- DP World is reportedly testing AI for employee management and proposing AI-assisted remote-control cranes and driverless vehicles.
Australian dock workers are seeking a 28-hour work week without a pay cut as the port logistics company DP World increases its adoption of artificial intelligence and automation. The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) argues that if DP World implements AI and automation, the benefits should be shared, and workers' jobs should not be put at risk to increase profits.
The MUA stated that the new technology should be used to improve workers' lives, not eliminate them. A study commissioned by the union suggests that DP World's automation program, which includes testing AI for employee management and proposing AI-assisted remote-control cranes and driverless vehicles, could threaten more than 60% of the dock and maintenance workforce, potentially impacting up to a thousand jobs.
DP World, a major global port operator handling approximately 40% of Australia's container shipments, is reportedly testing AI tools to manage its operations. The union's demand for a shorter work week comes as workers are believed to currently work between 32 and 35 hours per week, depending on their location.