ABSTRACT
Cargo handling operations at terminals lie at the core of the function of ports. Dock labor needs are very dependent on the cargo flows handled in the port. Employment and added-value per ton increase when goods undergo logistics or industrial transformations in the port area. Port labor can be defined in different terms. Factors related to the market profile of the port can also be strongly affected by dock labor performance. A dock worker strike negatively affects the factor port reputation. The dock labor input quantity can typically be expressed in the number of person-hours worked and or the size of the docker workforce deployed to handle cargo. Cost efficiency is the second dimension of labor performance. The internal organization of dock labor is taking place within a wider setting involving legal and social conditions and the state of technology. A competitive spirit between dock worker gangs and a strong social control within a gang enhance labor performance per shift.
