Contractual (In)security, labour regulation and competitive performance inthe port transport industry: A contextualized comparison of Britain and Spain

Spanish ports have traditionally been derided for poor performance and acri monious labour relations. This situation has been reversed in recent years through a programme of reform that has (a) created a more congenial organiz ational ecology in which firms co-operate as well as compete; (b) ensured t he collective provision of vital production inputs such as training and soc ial peace; and (c) co-ordinated investment in new port capacity and equipme nt. Spanish ports now match the performance of Britain's privatized and der egulated port transport industry, where co-operation is more notable by its absence, insecurity is rife and price competition intense. Through a conte xtualized comparison of labour regulation in the two countries, it is possi ble to demonstrate that an 'institutionally saturated' and 'politically bar gained' system of production and employment is compatible with, if not a ne cessary condition for, competitive performance in the international port tr ansport industry.