LABOR-MARKET, WORK MENTALITY AND SYNDICALISM - DOCK LABOR IN THE UNITED-STATES AND HAMBURG, 1900-1950S

This international comparison firstly examines labour market organizat ion, casual labour and work mentality in North American seaports and i n Hamburg. By contrast to British ports, these ports finally dispensed with casual labour between the world economic crisis and the Second W orld War, and :labour markets there were centralized. Secondly, the in dustrial militancy of mobile dockworkers without permanent jobs is exa mined through a consideration of syndicalist organizations (1919-1921) , and interpreted as an interplay of experiences with power in the net work of labour market, workplace and docklands. The study refers repea tedly to the decisive dividing line between regularly and irregularly employed dockworkers. National differences in trade union representati on and dispute behaviour are analysed by reference to dockworkers' dir ect actions.