International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has announced record levels of productivity at its flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) in the Philippines for August and September with equipment operators achieving their monthly targets.
The MICT posted an increase in berth productivity of 22% for August and 13% in September.
Jupiter Kalambakal, Public Relations Manager, International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), has written a new technical paper in the latest edition of the PTI Journal, Mega-Ports & Mega-Terminals, in which he has detailed exactly how the terminal has been able to achieve its record growth.
In the technical paper, ‘Manila International Container Terminal: Implementing the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS)’, Kalambakal stated: “[MICT ICTSI] continues to perform optimally through the first half of 2017 as the terminal gears up for the peak season in the latter part of the year.
“The robust performance comes after MICT achieved record volume and productivity in December, 2016 with its first year-to-date 2 million TEU move.”
In the announcement about its record MICT results, ICTSI highlighted that it has improved its existing employee motivation and care program to include citations for its most productive equipment operators.
Commenting on the program, Jay Valdez, MICT Operations Director, said: “Management acknowledges the excellent work our prime mover, quay crane, rubber tired gantry, and stacker operators have put in to reach high berth productivity.
“As early as 2000, we have been rewarding our operators and, as a result, ICTSI enjoys a very low turnover rate.
“Every time we meet our monthly target, we give special citations to the 10 most productive operators per equipment category, a simple way to thank them for their hard work and dedication to ensuring MICT operates with maximum efficiency.
“More importantly, these individuals serve as role models for their colleagues to emulate.
“As an inclusive business, ICTSI remains committed to the safety and welfare of our equipment operators.
Christian Gonzalez, ICTSI senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific and MICT, said: “They put themselves at risk operating these massive machines, and it is but proper that we look after their safety and welfare.
“More than the recognition, we make our equipment operators realize that they are key in driving the Philippine economy.
“ICTSI management and labor work hand in hand in helping this country grow further.
“We also cascade the same labor strategies and share the same global standards and best practices to our global portfolio of 31 terminals in 18 countries.
“These have made ICTSI a major global player in the port sector.”
The terminal operator named its most productive equipment operators for August as Jerwin Arce, prime mover (PM); Rolando Baysa, reach stacker and side lifter (RS/SL); Romeo Alejandro, rubber tired gantry (RTG); and Jose Dagpin, quay crane (QC); and for September, Arthur Belano (PM); Melchor Peliazar (QC); Archimeyes Concordia (RTG); and Roy Echevarra (RS/SL).
ICTI's statement about its position on worker welfare comes after the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) announced “an emerging pattern of labour rights violations” throughout facilities belonging to ICTSI at the beginning of this week (October 9, 2017).
ICTSI added in its announcement that subsidiaries regularly send labor to other terminals within the Group for training, secondment and other assignments overseas.
It stated: “This practice, considering the diversity of ICTSI’s portfolio, allows the Group to share best practices and improve the technical skills of their employees.”
“As a multinational, having established its presence in six continents, ICTSI understands cultural differences and knows well how to utilize this diversity to achieve government compliance and organizational goals.”
Gonzalez added: “One of ICTSI’s core strengths is a highly capable manpower.
“It’s really the key to the way we operate all of our terminal concessions worldwide.
“We start by bringing people in from our headquarters in Manila to jumpstart operations and train the locals who will eventually take over once everything is in place.
“But at the end, our goal is for each of our terminals to be run by 100 percent local manpower.”
“Aside from the technical expertise that we pass on to our subsidiaries, we also teach them hard work and perseverance including leadership and self-improvement skills such as personal financial management.
“We want our employees to be empowered. Having the right work attitude, combined with the technical know-how, sets our employees apart from the rest of the industry.”
