Managerial technologies and power relations: a study of theAustralian waterfront

Abstract

In recent times, the modern port has been characterised by rapid changes in work technologies and the consolidation of logistics functions. These changes signify an important recomposition of the port labour process and raise questions about the strategic location of frontline manual jobs. This research examines how these changes have played out in the Australian ports industry, developing the argument that a depersonalised managerial form of control is emerging with potentially challenging consequences for worker solidarity and collective organisation. The argument is that relations between port management and workers have changed significantly, with a reconfiguration of job roles, skill compositions and thus workplace power relations. It is informed by qualitative research at two Australian ports, exploring the organisation of work and the impact of recent technologies.

New technologies and the transformation of work and skills: a study of computerisation and automation of Australian container terminals

“…Acquisition of these skills, particularly for yard equipment operators, was often long and through on‐the‐job apprenticeships, complemented by specific formal training. To this date, as evident at Australian terminals, operators also run in‐house training programs, which are formally accredited under the national vocational education and training system to ensure that they equip their workers with the necessary skills (Gekara and Fairbrother, ). According to information from the terminals, it takes anything up to three years of on‐the‐job training for one to become a fully competent Straddle Driver and even more for a Quay Crane Operator.…”

“…This evolution, according to Hayuth and Hilling (), has furthermore influenced how ports operate and serve different varieties of commodities and ship types, as well as the nature of work. For example workforce sizes have continued to drop as a result of increasing containerisation of non‐traditional container cargoes and the implementation of space and time optimisation systems, which strip the port precinct of a wide range of traditional functions such as warehousing and storage (Steenken et al ., ; Gekara and Fairbrother, ). Furthermore, mechanisation has diminished the need for large ‘gangs’ of workers, formerly required to move individual pieces of break‐bulk cargo.…”

“…All along, as operations efficiency and throughput productivity improve, questions are growing with regard to the future of work and employment (e.g. Gekara and Fairbrother, ). With the introduction of robotic technology in recent years, and the installation of fully automated container terminals, these questions have become critical.…”

Consensual control through the articulation of technology and local culture: evidence from a textile factory in Turkey

“…For workers, they indicate erosion of their established resistance structures and a respective decline in their collective power. Gekara and Fairbrother (: 62–63) point out that those who run information and communication systems also run work organisation.…”

“…There are numerous studies within different contexts that have examined this. Although some studies focus on labour control regimes Ngai and Smith, 2007), others emphasise the significance of religious institutions (Neethi, 2012) and technology (Gekara and Fairbrother, 2013). In a comparative analysis of factory regimes in China, South Korea and Taiwan, Nichols et al (2004: 663-665) offer a threefold structure to understand the local control regimes.…”