Australian dock workers push for 28-hour week as AI automation raises job loss fears
That’s 5 hours and 35 minutes of work per day.
Victorian International container terminal in the port of Melbourne. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty.
- Australian dock workers are demanding a 28-hour work week with no pay cut as port operator DP World expands AI and automation across major terminals.
- The Maritime Union of Australia says AI should deliver a "social dividend" by reducing work hours instead of eliminating jobs and boosting profits.
- A union study found DP World's automation plans could affect over 1,000 jobs, more than 60% of the dock and maintenance workforce.
- DP World handles nearly 40% of Australia's containerized imports and a tenth of global container traffic, making the dispute nationally significant.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Australian dock workers are calling for a 28-hour work week and expect to receive the same salaries. They argue that AI is increasingly used in Australia’s ports and poses the risk of job losses. Workers demand AI to pay “social dividends.”
The initiative comes as global port operator DP World, which handles nearly 40% of Australia’s containerized imports and exports through its terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Fremantle, expands its use of AI-driven systems.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), which represents dock workers, warns this move could put thousands of jobs at risk.
“If DP World wants AI and automation, then they must pay the social dividend,” said the union.
“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.”
According to the union, AI automations should be used to improve workers' lives, and not “destroy them.” One of the key demands is that all employees whose jobs are in the crosshairs of AI and automation move to a 28‑hour work week with no cut in pay.
A 28‑hour week, if a person shows up for work every day for five days, constitutes 5 hours, 36 minutes per day.
A study commissioned by MUA showed DP World has been increasingly exploring AI tools to manage staffing and scheduling across its operations. The report accused the company of introducing automation without meaningful consultation and warned that the changes could affect up to 1000 jobs. That’s more than 60% of the dock and maintenance workforce.
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It goes on to state that DP World “is seeking to replace human-operated heavy machinery with slower AI automated driverless vehicles and AI-assisted remote cranes.”
The state-owned DP World is one of the world's largest port operators and is responsible for handling around a tenth of global container traffic, according to the BBC.
Cybernews has reached out to DP World for comment and will update this article when we receive a response.
