The Burden

Portrait of a stevedore unloading sacks of rice from a truck (Gujarat, India). Stevedoring is an occupation which involves loading and unloading of cargo on trucks, trains, ships or planes. People working in the stevedoring profession do not need high education. In India, this activity is carried out almost in all cases by hand and without the help of any machinery, therefore stevedores need to be strong and fit. The average pay for a stevedore is around INR 300 an hour (about USD 3.5 at the time of writing), yet their role remains key to moving millions of tonnes of cargo traded all around the country.