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The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) have urged terminal operator Dubai Ports World to get back to the negotiating table for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, MUA said.

The MUA launched protected industrial action at DP World terminals yesterday, amid failure to reach a satisfactory bargaining agreement.

According to MUA, Dubai Ports World began a lockout of MUA members in Melbourne and Sydney Thursday, with protected industrial action set to begin in Fremantle today.

MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said: “The company is trying to create the perception that kids won’t get their Christmas presents. Well, shame on them. This is a dispute where the timing is entirely of the company’s making. Unions are required by law to give three days’ notice of any protected action. All of the ports affected have multiple operators, so there is enough time for goods to be sub-contracted and unloaded elsewhere. Dubai Ports World has also taken the extraordinary step of banning its workers from talking to the media under threat of the sack – what are they trying to hide?”

Mr Crumlin said Dubai Ports World should drop its deliberate campaign of antagonism against its workers and return to the bargaining table with a renewed sense of fairness.

According to MUA, the following issues have been found at DP World’s terminals:

Melbourne: There are already two different rates of pay for workers doing the same job as straddle drivers and the company now wants to do away with penalty rates for new workers.

Fremantle: There are forced redundancies for 12 full time workers set to take effect on 31st December. This will reduce the number of full time rostered permanents to 40 out of 200 (20 per cent of the workforce).

Port Botany: Automation of the terminal will mean more than 250 redundancies and there needs to be fairness in the plan for redundancies.

Brisbane: Automation has already occurred. Not only does the new technology not work but managers are taking jobs which should be performed by MUA members.

“This dispute is about hours of work, job security, and automation of the waterfront with no fair redundancy provisions in place when hundreds of workers will get the sack,” Mr Crumlin said. “Unions want to see fairness and transparency in the redundancy process. Automation should be introduced through negotiation - and not used as weapon in union-busting efforts.”

ACTU President Ged Kearney said Dubai Ports World’s move to lock out its workforce was clearly part of a political and ideological agenda.

DP World’s update said yesterday that operations ceased in Melbourne at 0600 on Thursday December 11 and will resume at 1400 on Friday December 12; operations in Sydney ceased at 1000 on Thursday December 11 and will resume at 0600 on Friday December 12, whereas operations in Fremantle will cease at 1200 on Friday December 12th and resume at 1600 the same day.