Port Work in Transition – Balancing progress and change in sustainability, automation, and digitalization
The ETF made its points clearly to the discussion during the recent Connecting Ports Session edition “Port Work in Transition – Balancing progress and change in sustainability, automation, and digitalization,” held on the 20th of March 2025 and hosted by HPC Hamburg Port Consulting. With around 100 participants from over 30 countries, the event served as a global platform to explore the evolving landscape of port work in the face of sustainability, automation, and digitalization.
Berardina Tommasi, ETF Policy Officer for Dockers, actively participated in the discussions, providing valuable insights into the challenges faced by port workers as automation and technological advancements reshape the sector. Addressing the question of whether automation poses a genuine threat to jobs or if its impact is overstated, the ETF emphasized that while automation is presented as a way to enhance efficiency and integrate human expertise, in many cases, it has led to significant job losses, increased job insecurity, and a fundamental shift in the nature of dock work.
The ETF conveyed a clear message: automation should not be imposed without workers consultation, and it must be accompanied by fair transition measures, including retraining, job guarantees, early retirement schemes, shift to part-time and negotiated agreements that ensure automation serves both productivity and social sustainability. Technology should enhance the role of dockworkers, not push them out of the industry entirely.
On the topic of competitiveness, the ETF highlighted that ports that prioritize training and upskilling of their workers remain competitive in the long term. If workers are given the opportunity to transition into new roles, automation does not have to mean job destruction. “Ports that are efficient, reliable, and safe are more likely to attract business, and these qualities are not only dependent on automation but rather on the skill, experience, and dedication of dockworkers. Investment in people must be just as important as investment in technology”, continued Berardina Tommasi.
From a workers’ perspective, the ideal port of the future is a port where investment in automation is matched by investment in people. To achieve this, we need to ensure:
Fair transition –Workers must be active participants in shaping technological change
Strong collective bargaining – Unions must have a seat at the table when decisions about automation and sustainability are made. Collective agreements should include specific clauses and commitments to job security, reskilling, and fair working conditions.
Socially sustainable investments – Competitiveness should not be based solely on reducing labour costs.
Workers’ development – Ports must establish ongoing training programs that equip workers with the skills needed for the digital and green transition. No worker should be left behind due to technological or green transition.
