Globalisation, changing port ownership and implications for labour

Ports stand at a critical place in the global supply chains. They are the site for an intersection between road, rail and shipping, core to the globalisation of trade. Moreover, ports are constantly and significantly shaped by these processes. Increasing volumes of international trade, together with the revolution wrought by the containerisation of cargoes has brought greater scrutiny by government and importers on the efficiency of ports as a critical link in global supply chains. The resultant reorganisation of capital and new technologies have reshaped jobs, employment patterns and the voice of workers in the industry. There may be a new hierarchy emerging between workers, managers, occupational groups and others in ports. This changing relationship may also be reshaping the way in which employees in the industries associated with ports are represented. It is no longer clear where the critical strategic jobs in a port complex are located and who holds them and what influence they have over the labour process. This paper examines the changing patterns of ownership and control and the reshaping of power relationships within ports. Data for the paper is drawn from a set of interviews with port employees in Melbourne, as well as documentary analysis.