by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), representing 85,000 members, initiated the “People Over Profits: Anti-Automation Conference” in Lisbon, Portugal, from 5 to 6 November.

According to a press release by the Maritime Union of New Zealand, the conference brought together representatives from over 60 countries, including dockworkers and maritime union members.

In addition to the ILA, leaders from the International Dockworkers’ Council (IDC), the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and Portuguese Dockers Union, SEAL, were present.

During the conference, ILA President Harold J. Daggett described automation as a "threat" to the workforce, stating, “It’s about destroying the jobs that built this industry.”

Daggett called for the formation of a Global Maritime Alliance, urging dockers and maritime unions worldwide to unite against automation in waterfront facilities.

He outlined a strategy involving coordinated industrial action, proposing a global strike lasting three to four weeks against any company introducing job-reducing automation at ports affiliated with the new alliance.

The event concluded with the signing of a resolution titled “Protecting Employment, Communities and Collective Bargaining against Job-Destructive Automation,” which establishes an international network for union coordination.

MUNZ National Secretary Carl Findlay mentioned that the alliance’s stance is not against technological advancement, but against its use to eliminate jobs.

The Lisbon resolution extends principles established by the ILA’s strike action in the United States in 2024, which led to a form of contractual protection against automation.