The Maritime Union of Australian has escalated strike action against DP World, as the union’s national secretary Paddy Crumlin accused the company of declaring war on its workforce.
In addition to strike action at company terminals in three states from today, the MUA said workers at the Port Botany terminal in Sydney would strike for 12 hours over next Monday and Tuesday.
DP World management responded by announcing the Sydney workers would be locked out for a further eight hours over that period, meaning they would not return to work until 6am on Tuesday.
Mr Crumlin blasted the company’s tactics, accusing management of seeking to impose on workers its plans for further automation at its ports, rather than through agreement.
He said the company was also trying to renege on longstanding agreed award conditions, including the payment of penalty rates and a 35-hour week, which was originally negotiated as compensation for the loss of thousands of jobs.
Mr Crumlin said “they have just gone out and declared war on their own workforce, in a massive action over the last four or five days of self-harm’’.
