.

CONTEXT AND CONSTITUENTS OF THE PROFESSIONS OF

SEAFARER AND DOCK WORKER 
 In this section we
analyze the distinctive nature of the working environment on ships
and at cargo handling facilities in seaports in view of identifying
job characteristics along a number of internal and external forces to
the professions. The main job characteristics are summarized in
Table 1 and grouped according to three dimensions: market
conditions and required skills, social conditions and structures and
working conditions. 

Table 1. Job characteristics along a number of dimensions
Source: own elaboration
The seafarer and dock labor employment environments share a lot of
common features distinctive from other industries, such as the
masculinity of the professions, social structures/control based on gangs
or crews, change of the nature of work to increasingly high skilled and
technical in need for continuous training and exposure to harsh and or
dangerous working circumstances. Still, the seafarer and dock worker
environments are not entirely the same given noticeable differences in
terms of the multicultural nature of the workforce, the social aspects
related to the time spent away from family, the role of labor unions,
employee turnover and the existence of international standards guiding
the profession. The following sections provide a more in-depth
discussion.