The port of Tanger Med, the most efficient in Africa according to the latest World Bank efficiency ranking, operates like an uninterrupted assembly line. The gantry cranes impose a mechanical rhythm that has turned this complex into the largest container hub in the Mediterranean. Behind this machinery is one of the most sought-after workforces in North Africa: Moroccan stevedores. The salary gap compared to their colleagues in southern Europe remains a fundamental pillar in the region’s competitiveness strategy.
The cost of stevedoring in Morocco reflects the asymmetries of port globalization. Data from the sector consultancy JobSquare reveals that a port operator in Tanger Med earns a base salary ranging between 4,500 dirhams (about 415 euros) for junior profiles and 14,000 dirhams (approximately 1,300 euros) per month for highly qualified senior stevedores. The average salary is around 8,500 dirhams (785 euros) per month. These figures include allowances for night work and productivity bonuses related to the volume of movements per hour. In Las Palmas, the average would be 8,800 euros net per month.
According to Canarias 7, with data from nearly 10 years ago, the salary of a stevedore at the Port of Las Palmas, who benefit from labor protections inherited from Francoism, typically ranges between 50,000 and 60,000 euros annually (around 4,000 euros monthly working the legal minimum shift base). However, incomes for Las Palmas stevedores can double, reaching figures of 120,000 if they work overtime and cover all available extra shifts.
Without union monopolies
The comparison with the Canary shore highlights Morocco’s logistical advantage for any shipping company facing additional costs such as ETS. In France, base salaries in the sector range between 32,000 and 50,000 euros annually in locations like Le Havre or Marseille-Fos. The difference in labor costs per container moved allows operators at Tanger Med terminals (such as APM Terminals and Eurogate) to offer transshipment rates drastically lower than those at ports in the European Union.
The National Ports Agency (ANP) and the authorities of Tanger Med (TMSA) have designed a free zone ecosystem where labor flexibility complements tax advantages. Local unions, mainly integrated into the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT), maintain a complex balance between demands for wage increases and the preservation of social peace essential for international shipping companies. Work stoppages are infrequent; operational stability is a state priority.
The port of Casablanca operates under a different dynamic than the north. Oriented towards the import and export of goods for the national market, its dockworkers report slightly lower salaries than Tanger Med, averaging around 6,500 dirhams monthly, about 650 euros. Technical specialization marks the internal hierarchy: crane operators of next-generation gantry cranes (STS) and drivers of tractor heads in the free zones achieve the best compensation packages within the Moroccan port agreement.
Automation represents the next challenge for this cost structure. The introduction of semi-automated terminals presses the need for conventional labor. The model of low wage demands will continue to support Morocco’s port hegemony over the Canaries. The competitiveness of Tanger Med does not rely solely on its geographic location, but also on a workforce that processes global trade at a fraction of the European cost.
