The threat of ongoing disruption lingers as talks between DP World and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) proved unsuccessful last Thursday, with workplace relations minister Tony Burke refusing to intervene.
As previously reported by PASA, DP World and the MUA are currently locked in a bitter dispute over a 16 per cent pay rise for DP World workers, meaning they would earn close to the rate of stevedores at top rival Patrick Corporation.
However, the global port operator is maintaining a firm stance on productivity-based pay.
The failed talks mean strikes will continue with a considerable impact on the economy during the current cost of living crisis, while causing significant loading and unloading delays at ports around Australia.
The dispute has cost at least $1.3bn so far, according to DP World, and reportedly stalled about 48,327 containers with a backlog that will likely take up to eight weeks to clear.
Maersk has warned its customers that two-hour work stoppages will occur every day from 22nd January at ports in Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle and Brisbane.
Meanwhile, Burke — who attended Thursday’s meeting between the two parties — has blasted DP World for running a media campaign rather than attempting to reach an agreement, calling its current approach “misguided”.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, he said “I have made clear to the company as well: if they had invested as much into negotiating as they have into their media campaign, they may already have an agreement that is in the interest of everybody.
“Every other business in Australia is expected to negotiate with their workforce, [DP World] wants to rely on ministerial intervention – [that] is not a view that impresses me.
“I expect them to do the same as every other business in Australia. I think certainly their presumption that they would find a political answer rather than do what every other business in Australia is expected to do was misguided, and I’ve made that clear to them,” he continued.
Burke also suggested that Australians were “sick to death of having highly profitable companies say everything is the fault of them having to pay their workforce the same as their competitors.”
He added, “I have trouble believing that DP World has the interests of Australian consumers at heart when it is being run by the same person who previously, when he was the CEO of Svitzer, made the announcement that he was effectively going to shut down every single major port in Australia.”
Anthony Albanese reflected Burke’s standpoint, telling reporters in Melbourne, “We think that there are mutual interests between workers and their employers.
“We would urge the parties to bargain in good faith and to have a resolution that is in their interest, but also the interests of our national economy.”
