DP World Australia, MUA closing in on workplace agreement

Australia’s largest container terminal operator DP World Australia expects to finalise workplace agreements with the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) by September 30.

The agreement comes on the back of this week’s negotiations and the suspension of the union’s planned industrial action.

The breakthrough is being reported after two years of difficult negotiations, MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said.

“We are currently working with the company to turn this in-principle agreement into a final document that will lock in fair and productive outcomes for workers and the company over the next four years,” he added.

“Efforts over the last week have shown that when both sides sit down in a mature fashion to bargain in good faith, it delivers results.”

“The Maritime Union’s decision to withdraw all industrial action at DP World Sydney has enabled productive negotiations at our Sydney terminal to resume,” said Andrew Adam, DP World Australia Chief Operating Officer – Terminals.

“We anticipate being able to finalise an agreement at DP World Sydney in the coming week. We’re encouraged with the progress we made this week in Sydney.”

The company operates container terminals in Brisbane, Melbourne, Fremantle, and Sydney, which is experiencing severe congestion over the recent period.

At the beginning of September, unionized workers voted to undertake protected industrial action at Patrick, Hutchinson, and DP World terminals at Brisbane, Freemantle, Sydney, and Melbourne in Australia after negotiations on a new enterprise agreement broke down with the employers.

Until now, the industrial action at Patrick’s Port Botany terminal involved a four-hour stoppage along with bans on upgrading to higher positions and bans on overtime.

Several liner companies have been experiencing delays at Australian terminals due to the ongoing developments.