Australian dock workers have dialed in a 28-hour week in AI talks.

Australian shipyard workers are demanding an unpaid 28-hour work week as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation expands across the nation’s ports.

The AI ​​push is being led by port logistics giant DP World, which the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has described as putting staff in a “stressful situation”.

“If DP World wants AI and automation, they need to pay the social dividend. The new technology is not just about putting our members out of work or putting their livelihoods at risk, it’s about increasing terminal operator profitability,” the union said.

The BBC has contacted DP World and MUA for more information.

Dubai-based DP World is experimenting with AI tools to manage staff and work schedules, according to a study by the International Center for Corporate Tax Accountability and Research commissioned by MAA.

The automation program is part of a pattern of pushing AI into operations “without real consultation” and could put up to a thousand jobs, or more than 60% of shipping and maintenance workers, at risk, the study said.

The company also proposes to use AI-powered remote control cranes and driverless vehicles, he added.

In a July 3 statement, the union called for a 28-hour work week, saying that technology “should be used to improve the lives of workers, not to destroy them.”

DP World Dock workers are believed to work between 32 and 35 hours a week, depending on their location, according to The Australian Financial Review, which first reported the negotiations.

State-owned DP World is one of the world’s largest port operators and is ultimately controlled by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

It moves millions of shipping containers in Australia every year through ports in Sydney, Melbourne and other parts of the country.

With operations in 84 countries and more than 126,000 employees worldwide, the company handles the world’s tenth largest container traffic.