“Where terminals have been privatised, incoming concession holders are able to employ local nationals at local rates – but as more concessioning takes place, these people are being poached and their salaries have been increasing as a result.”
However, recruiting and retaining staff isn’t just about salaries – it is about training, recognition, clear levels of responsibility and job fulfilment,he says. “Proper training and proper recognition for individuals’ effort and delivery is one of the basic rules of management.”
Mr Cameron says there is a shortage of good managers across all sectors – despite all of the recent takeovers and consolidations in the ports industry, you still need the same number of people to run the terminals. “A surplus of talent and skills may be created at corporate level, but not at terminal level. That shortage still remains.
And yes,we are having to fight against the mining industry, for example; the huge increase in commodity prices has brought an explosion of investment in mining right around the world, so good engineers working in areas where there is also a mining industry can move very quickly out of the port sector into the mining sector and earn more money.”
