Australia: Workers at ports in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, and Port Kembla plan industrial action Dec. 13-19 /update 2

Workers at the ports of Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, and Port Kembla in Wollongong are to take industrial action Dec. 13-19 amid an ongoing dispute between the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Qube Ports over contract negotiations. Workers at the ports will refuse overtime, participate in daily work stoppages, and take other measures that are certain to slow down vessel loading and unloading operations. Workers at the ports of Adelaide, Darwin, and Port Kembla will participate in a 24-hour work stoppage from 07:00 Dec. 16, while workers in Brisbane will strike for 24 hours from 23:00 Dec. 15. Port Kembla will further witness a 23:00-07:00 stoppage nightly. The strike is likely to be extended past Dec. 19.

The dispute between MUA and Qube Ports has been ongoing since contract negotiations broke down in April 2024. Industrial action has taken place at several ports throughout Australia since September. The MUA has stated that workers from at least 10 ports could be undertaking industrial action by Christmas should negotiations not progress.

If the MUA prolongs or expands the scope of the strike, cargo handling delays could prompt supply chain disruptions through December. Strike supporters may hold protests outside offices within the port.