The grim life of a dock workhorse

For some dock workers, toiling shift after shift at the container terminals without a break and for days at a time has not just left them exhausted; it has also cost them their family life.

"It makes you really grumpy, and you have no choice but to vent your emotions on your family," one divorced worker said. "Sometimes that means violence."

The shore checker - who is responsible for preparing containers ready to be moved onto the ships - said the working hours were so long that he barely saw his son. But he had no choice.

"I'm the breadwinner. My 14-year-old son is already asking me when I'm going back to work," he said as heavy trucks swept past him on the road outside the terminal gates where the strikers are now stationed.

He is also angry about port operator Hongkong International Terminals forcing them out of the terminal itself. "It's dangerous here. If a truck lost control and crashed into us, the result would be unimaginable."

Many shore checkers are paid by the shift and end up not going home for days to make ends meet. "Don't even think about a toilet break - we just do it on the spot, where we are working."

The life of a crane operator - responsible for moving the containers onto ships - was little better. A Mr Ho, 45, said they often had to work two shifts in a row, each one eight to nine hours' long - an extra concern when their performance affects ship safety.