The term ‘Dockers’ is well known across the globe, but it does not always mean the same thing to everyone. Different people use the same term in various parts of the world to describe similar or completely different things. Let’s take a closer look at what the term ‘Dockers’ means at different ports around the world.

In Australia, the men historically referred to as waterside or wharf workers or labourers are known as stevedores or Dockers today. These men were colloquially referred to as ‘Wharfies’. A docker here refers to a dock worker.

Next we jump to New Zealand where the term ‘Dockers’ means very much the same as it does in Australia. It is also used to refer to dock workers or men working in the docks. The biggest and most bitter industrial dispute in the history of New Zealand was the 1951 waterfront dispute involving native stevedores.

Moving along we make our way to the United States of America. The modern day definition of stevedore in the USA refers to a company or man that manages the loading and unloading operation of a ship. The stevedore owns the equipment with which the unloading and loading process is done. The men referred to as longshoremen as the ones who go about done the physical loading and unloading. Using the terms longshoremen and stevedores is not accurate according to modern Unites States usage of the terms. In the USA, Dockers, as defined by the British, are known as longshoremen.

Finally we hit home soil in the United Kingdom. Here the term ‘Dockers’ refers to the team of men who unload and load ships and perform a variety of other tasks in the port. In some ports you may hear the term ‘stevedore’ when someone is referring to the master of the Dockers gang.

No matter where in the world they are, Dockers perform vital tasks in and around the port they are stationed at. And contrary to what you may think, these men need to be highly skilled in order to perform their tasks correctly. Dock workers became heavily involved with the unions in history as they started out being taken for granted and discriminated against. This is surprising considering that Dockers are the reason things move from one country to the next. Without them, importing and exporting would come to a grinding standstill. With the implementation of unions and the protection of their rights, Dockers have a fairly good deal these days. That is not to say that spending your life in a port is an easy or cushy way of life and it often takes an unparalleled love of the sea. These men operate rigging and machinery; work with heavy loads and even precious cargo as well as hazardous cargo. So, next time you receive or purchase an item that has been imported by sea, take a moment to consider the Dockers who had a hand in delivering that item to you.

Dockers have many different forms of address such as dock workers, stevedores, dock labourers and longshoremen; depending which country are under discussion. Whatever name they are called by, it involved various tasks concerning the loading and the unloading of ships. Before container ships were used extensively and the huge shore-based handling machinery were employed, the term longshoremen specifically meant dockworkers. The men that operated the cranes on the ships and moved the cargo was called stevedores. These men also belonged to a different trade union that the dockworkers. 

Over time the term Dockers and stevedores became a generalisation for brawny, heavily muscled men that had a rather foulmouthed vocabulary. It is true though that dockworkers must have great physical strength, but there is more to it than just that. They must combine physical strength with the ability to follow orders and have an in-depth knowledge of the operation of different forms of loading equipment. Dockers also intimately know the different techniques for lifting and stowing many different forms of cargo. It is critically important too that they know the correct handling of different classes of hazardous materials. From this it is easy to see that dockworkers are about far more than just muscles and swearing as people so often assume.

Today intermodal containers are used to transport the majority of non-bulk cargo. The normal process is for the containers to be trucked to the port or to be railed there. Cargo may also come from another ship and be waiting in the storage area of the port. When the ship arrives to collect the waiting cargo, it is the job of various Dockers to move the cargo containers. The cargo will be lifted on board by cranes and then the men will secure the containers to each other and also to the ship. So moving cargo involves dock workers with various skills and in various positions. Some will track the containers within the cargo area during the loading and unloading and various supervisors will be involved as well. These Dockers are usually referred to as longshoremen and stevedores.

An interesting fact is that traditionally these longshoremen did not hold down a fixed job. This meant they turned up each morning at the docks in the hopes that someone will employ them for the day. London Dockers coined a phrase for this; “standing on the stones”, waiting and hoping to be employed. This way of earning a living, never knowing if you will be earning a wage for the next day, is an incredibly stressful way of life. Employment laws in Britain have been changed and greatly benefits dockworkers. There jobs have been converted into either temporary jobs or permanent jobs.

Many men that have made their mark in history were Dockers. The role of honour includes the British Dock Workers Trade Union Leader, one of the Presidents of Finland and numerous authors. Some went on to become famous sportsmen, comedians, movie actors, songwriters, a philosopher and the founder of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation of Canada.