Ongoing wharf dispute is resulting in multi-million dollar costs

Economic analysis of the Maritime Union of Australia's industrial action showed it had cost the Australian economy more than $1.34 billion since October, last year, DP World Corporate Affairs senior director Blake Tierney said.

"Key industries like meat, agriculture, retail and logistics are being severely impacted through millions in lost sales, spoiled produce and supply chain issues," Mr Tierney said.

He said $344 million worth of trade was being disrupted, each week, representing 0.7 per cent of weekly Australian Gross Domestic Product.

"More than 44,000 containers are currently stalled at ports, and the backlog will take two to eight weeks to clear depending on when industrial action ends."

A spokesman for the Australian Meat Industry Industry Council said the country exported $15 billion of beef, lamb and goat meat to more than 100 markets, last financial year.

"Recent port industrial action has severely disrupted the ability to export perishable goods, particularly meat," the spokesman said.

"The inability to get containers moving through ports and the lack of access to shipping slots has hamstrung Australian meat exporters, added unnecessary costs and risks eroding our reputation as a reliable supplier of food to customers around the world."

Freight & Trade Alliance director Paul Zalai joined DP World in calling for federal government intervention.

"The dispute is having devastating financial impacts on exporters and importers and is causing serious reputational harm to Australia as a viable trading nation," Mr Zalai said.

The biggest impact was on exporters, he said.

"Shipping lines are charging additional fees due to the industrial action and not able to help mitigate delays by offering alternate services, particularly to Asian destinations," he said.

"The lack of predictability of shipping schedule is also seeing many exporters who rail from regional centres direct to the wharves, now moving and storing their loaded containers at nearby port facilities."

This was adding transit delays, double-handling costs and additional truck movements, Mr Zalai said.

"Trains often operate on a 'take or pay' method, meaning you either use the slot or pay for it anyway," he said.

"The decision for our regional exporters then becomes whether to double handle the container at the port and pay for storage or pay for the empty train slot and rail it again the following week."

He said the costs for exporting containerised grain translated to an additional $12 to $15 per tonne and in many cases, eliminated any profit for this and other similar high volume, low value agricultural commodities.

Mr Zalai said the FTA hadn't had a response from the federal government yet.

He said members were "hammering" the FTA, letting it know the impact of the dispute.

"We don't necessarily want to talk to the ministers, we just want the issue resolved."

"We are not siding with the unions, or the employer, we just need business continuity and to have our wharves open.

"The government is very proud to talk about free trade agreements, trade liberalisation and having a better relationship with China, which is all fantastic and very important, but I think it counts for nothing if we can't get our boxes (containers) on and off ships."

Late last month, the MUA accused DP World of walking away from negotiations citing their company's white-collar shutdown throughout summer.

At the close of six days of facilitated bargaining meetings, an in-principle agreement had still not been reached to deliver fair pay, job security and safe working conditions Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth terminals, Mr Evans said.

The union claimed rather than continue negotiating, company representatives sought to shelve all further meetings until January 29.

"Dubai Ports' (DP World) management team dragged their feet and failed to settle an in-principle agreement during six days of facilitated bargaining," the MUA's assistant national secretary Adrian Evans said.

The union flagged if DP World "could not be bothered" to participate in bargaining, before the beginning of the second month of 2024, the program of protected industrial action would recommence.

Mr Tierney said the MUA appeared to be focused on economically destructive tactics rather than bargaining.

The federal government has been contacted for comment.