
Port Automation: Robots Play Growing Role in Handling Ship Containers - mpweiher
http://fortune.com/2018/01/30/port-automation-robots-container-ships/
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bkor
> These kinds of coordinating, organizing, and choreographing tasks are more
> efficiently handled by machines than by humans.

That's an assumption they didn't fact check.

According to the terminal itself ECT Delta terminal in Rotterdam was the first
automated terminal, see
[http://www.ect.nl/en/node/205](http://www.ect.nl/en/node/205) (in Dutch).
This terminal was built in 1985. This terminal was always slower than any
human operated terminal. They did invest into technological upgrades.

Since ECT Delta they also built newer terminals. Also for those the automation
isn't just magically quicker, cheaper or has a higher availability than a
human operated terminal. Another thing to be aware of is that one bug can stop
the entire terminal. With humans they work around it (more flexible). Such
problems have occurred often enough. Without even a bug, the Maersk cyber
attack also had quite the impact.

For US, the main problem is unions. The way that unions operate in the US vs
most countries in Europe is vastly different. Union in US seems to be about
being powerful, not so much about doing what is right or makes sense. They
have way more of an impact on any productivity than calls for automation.

~~~
crdoconnor
>For US, the main problem is unions. The way that unions operate in the US vs
most countries in Europe is vastly different. Union in US seems to be about
being powerful, not so much about doing what is right or makes sense. They
have way more of an impact on any productivity than calls for automation.

The culture of management in America has historically been much, _much_ more
confrontational than in Europe and unions reacted to that accordingly.

European management can be confrontational (especially in the UK) but it still
relatively tame by comparison with the US - there hasn't ever, to my
knowledge, been an aerial bombing raid delivered on a strike in Europe, for
instance, whereas that has happened in West Virginia.

~~~
adventured
> European management can be confrontational (especially in the UK) but it
> still relatively tame by comparison with the US ... for instance, whereas
> that has happened in West Virginia.

Your point would actually have a chance of standing up, if you provided recent
examples that prove a common trend of using violence against unions. As it is,
you provided zero evidence.

US management confrontation is _extremely_ tame today. All you need to do is
look at the lawsuits filed against US employers by their workers, and the
nature of the claims in question (overwhelmingly they're discrimination based,
violence is almost non-existent in the US work place). You're using a one-off
example - Blair Mountain was a century ago - about a very large subject body.
Using violence against union workers today is a really fast way to end up
arrested by the FBI or state police.

~~~
crdoconnor
These days the threat is more muted on both sides, but historical precedent
still drives the culture and relationship between the two sides today. The
underlying hostility is still stronger than in Europe.

For instance, Wisconsin Attorney General Jeffrey Cox advocated the use of live
ammunition against the ~100,000 people protesting against the 2011 Wisconsin
Act 10 while a deputy prosecutor advocated the use of a violent "false flag"
attack to garner sympathy. As far as I am aware this kind of thing does not
happen in Western Europe.

