Labour reform and privatization in public-sector ports

Abstract

For centuries, employment conditions for port labor were set unilaterally by maritime employers. For the last few decades, however, in Latin America and the Caribbean they have been determined by Governments (acting as employers) and unions. The existing labor regimes support port workers' desire for an adequate livelihood but also isolate them from market signals and thus give rise to inefficient and grossly overstaffed cargo handling monopolies. In today's global economy, however,the elimination of such inefficiencies and costs is imperative.