associate

service coordinator

logistics associate

recruiter

office administrator

South-Coast-Port-Services

I have worked For South Coast Port Services at DP World Southampton Container Terminal since 2006 and have had many opportunities to progress and further my career in my time here. I am currently a Chargehand and Trainer so I train people to Pad/Lash/Moor and drive straddle carriers as well as my normal Multiskilled Port Operative duties. I have been put on courses and taught how to lesson plan and train people in the correct way, to get the most out of them, which I think is a very good transferable skill. The hours can be long and are generally 12 hour shift, and there are plenty of opportunities for overtime that is paid well also. I normally work 6 shifts a week and most of the time get a day off on the weekend even though that it's not guaranteed. The Labour allocators are accommodating and will try their best to get you the days off that you need if requested. The management are approachable and if I have ever had any problems the HR department are supportive and helpful too. the holiday is 5 weeks a year plus another 5 Days in Lieu that can be used when wanted. The hardest part of the job is getting your head around only finding out the day before if you are definitely working the next day but when you get used to this its fine. You will normally know when it is busy the next day so you generally can gauge when you'll be working anyway. The most enjoyable part of the job is the people that you work with here, the messroom is full of characters and the comradery between the lads is great. The way you get paid takes a little getting used too, its 4 weekly pay so effectively you get paid 13 times a year instead of 12, but you get an advance every week also. So you get 3 weeks of advances and then a 4 weekly square up week of everything you're owed. Overall SCPS Container Division is a good company to work for.

Pro? 
- Pay is good.
- The colleagues you work alongside become lifelong friends.

Cons?
- Pay is good ONLY because of the 60+ hours per week you will work.
- Work is not guaranteed. Random cancellations happen meaning you do not get paid. Overcrowding leads to less shifts.
- Management is ABOMINABLE. Very prejudiced on age and gender and a person's personality.
- No care for employees personal or family matters, work/life balance is POOR, no communication or proper business updates, genuine opportunities for in house promotion can be achieved on a who you know basis (candidates chosen behind scenes, job posts put out to tick box).
- Favouritism is rife within company.
- Progress within company is difficult, there is a Very low ceiling.
- Holidays and days off are often tampered with.
- Trade Union very buddy buddy with management, will not fight your corner.
- No genuine praise or appreciation given by management or superiors, this comes from the parent company only.
- Work in a conveyor belt environment where an individual is simply another number or name in a space to fill a rota.
- Morale of employees very low, but fear of speaking out (strong characters are blacklisted and find themselves with less work or no overtime opportunities and more) stops  improvements.
- Management, senior management, most supervisors and HR are together, cannot raise concerns without it being discussed amongst whole office.

My typical day there is sign in and be told were i am working whether it be stock on ships, putting baggage on conveyer belt to go on ship, sort baggage into cages, or porting. what ever my job is for that day i go to with a smile on my face even if i am tired and get my head down and get stuck in. its always a laugh when working there because there is always conversation and a great atmosphere in the air, the hardest part of my job is when its almost the end of the day and the lorries occasionally come in and are full with baggage that the passengers have sent to be put on the ship because by then your arms are almost dead and your tired or worn out but you just keep your head held high and get on. the most enjoyable part of the job is when your porting and you get to talk to the passengers and listen to how much of a good time they had on there cruise and they ask how your day is and how long you been working for south coast port skills. all in all its a great place to work and your not always stuck doing the same thing day in and day out.

2025 came with hope that was backed up when i got the job working with scps 
First shift came paid 30 quid to a taxi to get there then i was told i was on stand by 
I was never told that when they said could i work Saturday so i had to wait till someone wouldn't turn up for the shift anyway first thing i noticed managers etc are just on another planet no communication at all you are just a number no training either i had to wing it all day luckly it wasn't difficult to figure out what we were doing all day 
So the end of the day i lost my id card i texted my supervisor straight away Never heard nothing till the following Tuesday eventually got my new id card then they texted me my shift this week i said i can do this and that waited for the day before work to tell me where and what dock i was working at never heard anything so i will politely tell them to shove there job where the sun doesn't shine dont work for this company awful experience 


it starts at 6 am we arrive then have a quick tea/coffee, then we all go round to are job posts either on the conveyer or in the baggage shed where we wait for the trains or cages to come in as they come in we set them out in order, have a great banter with my co-workers which makes the day go so much quicker, they have taught me how to drive a telescopic handler, forklift and a P.O.E.P machine which i hold licenses for all of them, the hardest part is trying to find the passengers bags as there are so many but usually its pretty quick as we know roughly they are, the management there are really good everyone knows exactly what they are doing and where they have to be, the most enjoyable bit for me is when i let the ship go so then i know it is home time and wait for the ship to come back in

Working in the maritime and shipping industry, brings it own rewards by way of a daily changing work environment. SCPS evolved over the ten years I worked there, growing as a company. My role within this company, was as foreman, and I was responsible for the shift to shift management, including manpower allocation, and job allocation. It was also my responsibility to monitor shipping movements in and out of Southampton. The hardest part of this, was trying to arrange enough men to complete the tasking, including calling men back in on overtime. The easiest part, was the down time in between the various tasks.

What is the best part of working at the company?
There isn't.
Training is pretty much sitting in the canteen alday.

No communication or help. 

Wage is good but management pretty much will get rid of you if you can't do certain things so they except you to do it with out help or a explanation of how to do it.

Management won't listen to employers.

Avoid at all costs.


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Sitting around doing fuckall all-day.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
No great.

Trainers will talk about you behind your back.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Go in sign in get changed and that's it.

Mainly 12 hour shifts and open 24 hours a day 7 days a week so can be very tiring as it is very busy and getting busier! does effect work life balance but there is the opportunity to earn good money and to progress meaning there is more money to be earned. Only took me 6 months to move from doing the manual side of the job to driving big machinery getting me a pay rise. There is a bonus system in place which is linked to productivity and paid every 3 months - will be enough to pay for my family holiday this year! 

The work can be physical / varied depending on which customer's job you are allocated to.
Improved my Driving Skills and learnt new skills like fork lift driving.
Many of my colleagues moved up to the container division for promotion. 
Supportive Management, encouraged me to apply for promotional job.
Enjoyed working as part of a team.
Didn't enjoy working most weekends.


    


What is the best part of working at the company?
The people you meet are really helpful and friendly.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
When you sit round doing nothing for hours.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Every days work schedule is different, some days are busy and others you will do 2hrs work.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Associate 5 salaries reported	£18.63 per hour
Service coordinator 1 salary reported	£16.02 per hour
Logistics associate 1 salary reported	£20.01 per hour
Recruiter 1 salary reported	£22,880 per year
Office administrator 1 salary reported	£21,500 per year

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