Offshore stevedore - Okinakashi

A stevedore. Today, stevedores are the norm, and the use of cargo handling machines has changed the nature of stevedore work, so the term "offshore stevedores" is no longer used, and the term "shipboard worker" or "shipboard stevedore" has become established. Until around 1965, when ports were fully developed, there were few facilities where ships could berth even when they came into the port, so most ships were anchored offshore and their cargo was transferred to barges for transport between the port and the shore. These workers were called "offshore stevedores" because they worked to lift and unload cargo on ships and barges offshore. There are two types of employment: permanent and temporary day labor, and in the past the latter accounted for a much larger proportion. The former have long belonged to a stevedore contractor (master) called "something group," and were related to the master in a feudal boss-subordinate relationship. Nowadays, such relationships have been wiped out, and efforts are being made to turn day laborers into permanent employees. Before various loading and unloading machines were introduced into port cargo handling, heavy manual labor such as hand or shoulder loading was the norm, and the onboard work of stevedores was the core of port cargo handling, was the most labor-intensive, and required the most skill.

Because cargo handling on board ships requires the cargo to be handled quickly in a cramped and dangerous working environment, teams are organized and strict control is exercised. The number of people in each team varies depending on the type of cargo, but is usually around 10 to 20 people, including a team leader, a winchman who operates the crane, a signalman, and other team members.

[Yasunori Doi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

船内荷役(にやく)作業に従事する港湾労働者。今日では接岸荷役が主流を占め、また荷役機械の導入が進展して船内荷役労働の内容が変化したこともあり、沖仲仕という名称は使われず、船内労働者あるいは船内荷役作業員という呼称が定着している。港湾が本格的に整備される1965年（昭和40）ごろまでは、船舶が入港しても接岸できる施設が少なく、そのため大部分の船舶は沖に停泊し、貨物は艀(はしけ)に積み替えて陸との間を運送されていた。こうした沖の本船や艀の中で貨物の揚げ降しの作業に従事するため、沖仲仕といわれた。その雇用形態は常雇いと臨時の日雇いとがあり、かつては後者の占める比重がきわめて高かった。前者は古くから「何々組」と称する荷役請負業者（親方）の下に所属し、親方とは封建的な親分・子分の身分関係で結ばれていた。現在ではそうした関係は払拭(ふっしょく)され、他方、日雇いの常雇い化も図られた。港湾荷役に各種荷役機械が導入される以前の、手荷役ないし肩荷役といった重筋肉労働中心の段階では、沖仲仕の船内作業は港湾荷役の中心をなし、もっとも労働密度が高く、熟練を要した。

　船内荷役は狭く危険な作業環境で迅速に貨物を処理する必要から、チームが編成され、強い統制がとられている。1チームの人数は、貨物の種類によって違うが、10～20人ぐらいで、組長、クレーンを操作するウィンチマン、シグナルマン、組員などからなる。

［土居靖範］

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