‘Annual Christmas lie’: Union accuses port operator of fearmongering amid pay deal dispute

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Australia’s biggest ports operator has warned the country’s “festive spirit” and economic stability are at risk if a months-long industrial dispute isn’t settled by early December, as more than 50,000 shipping containers sit unloaded across the country.

But the Maritime Union of Australia has accused DP World – which manages 40 per cent of Australian container shipments through terminals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth – of deliberately dragging its feet in fresh pay deal talks.

DP World’s dock in West Melbourne. Credit: Eddie Jim

DP World was hit with a cyberattack earlier this month that brought its operations to a standstill and triggered fears of price hikes due to shortages of everything from electronics to furniture. The union has also taken protected work stoppages and bans on overtime as it negotiates with the company on a new pay agreement.

The Victorian Coalition has now called on Ports Minister Melissa Horne and federal Employment Minister Tony Burke to intervene, arguing consumers already struggling with the cost of living shouldn’t pay the price for protracted enterprise bargaining negotiations during the festive season.

Industrial relations spokesman David Hodgett said the Allan government should be lobbying Burke to invoke section 431 of the Fair Work Act, which allows the Commonwealth to terminate protected industrial action if the minister is convinced there will be significant damage to the Australian economy.

“This dispute is clearly impacting on consumers,” Hodgett said. “People want it settled. The government must act.”

A DP World spokesman said there was a backlog of just over 50,000 containers due to the union’s ongoing industrial action.

“With the Christmas season approaching, these delays – currently spanning 15-20 days – are becoming increasingly detrimental, threatening both the festive spirit and economic stability,” the spokesman said.

“We will begin to see an impact on Christmas due to the ongoing industrial action, even though many warehouses have been filled [with Christmas goods] in October.”

Maritime Union of Australia assistant national secretary Adrian Evans said the recent cyberattack, not industrial action, was a bigger shock to the country’s supply chain.

“DP World and the other two major stevedoring companies were lightning fast to reassure the community that Christmas would not be impacted by a four-day shutdown caused by their failure to update their software,” he said.

“The Australian Retailers Association, Woolworths and Harvey Norman also confirmed that Christmas stock was already in warehouses and on shelves.

“Logically, this must now spell the end of the annual Christmas lie from big business that waterfront industrial action might ruin Christmas. It’s not true now, and it never has been.”

Evans went on to accuse DP World of derailing negotiations over the last nine months.

“They are trying to game the nation’s IR laws by dragging this out for as long as possible rather than sit down and work with the union on a mutually agreeable outcome,” he said.

“We have locked in six days of meetings, which the company had previously refused to schedule with us. We hope they will come to those meetings with a cooperative and constructive mindset, which to date has been totally absent.”

The union has claimed the ports operator is trying to ram through pay cuts, roster upheaval and undermine workplace health and safety as part of its desired changes to the former enterprise bargaining agreement.

In turn, DP World has accused the union of using militant tactics while effectively demanding a 27.5 per cent pay increase.

A spokesman for Burke said the minister generally refrained from commenting on individual cases.

A Victorian government spokeswoman said: “This is a private industrial dispute and we encourage parties to bargain in good faith.”

The latest negotiations are due to conclude by December 9.

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