Free trade or an alternative path: the queue system and struggle over the conditions of work in Ottoman ports, 1900–1910

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article examines an important source of social unrest in Ottoman ports where ships could not be tied directly to the quays. In such places, boatmen ferried goods and passengers between the shore and ships that anchored offshore. Many of these boatmen wanted to work on the queue system because it provided work and income security to them. However, merchants and a few boatmen viewed this system as a major obstacle for their business to survive and grow. The Ottoman government also took part in this debate. However, rather than acting as a unitary actor, various components of the government adopted different positions on the issue. In the early twentieth century, these actors with different views and goals were involved in a series of conflicts. These conflicts forced Ottoman ruling elites to change their policies about the boat queue system several times at least but did not result in a decisive victory for one side or the other.