Porterage: The job of forgotten people on earth.

Article by: Reem Hesham Mohsen

Edited by: Manar Mohamed Sedik

Porterage is one of the hardest professions that need patient people who can endure hardship to earn their daily bread.

Porterage is one of the oldest jobs that need a hardworking and patient person, with a strong body. This job has conventions and special traditions like any other job, and in the past they had a syndicate of their own and a leader called “head of class”.

The porters elected their leader, by voting for the man who could best solve problems. As he was in charge of arranging the workers and their duties, in every marketplace, and contributing to solving arguments. Usually, this leader has his own place to meet the workers and be near them. The porter profession is often inherited; because it needs a healthy and strong body.

Porters have their special ways for carrying goods, whether on the back or head, on a cart manually pushed or pulled by donkeys and horses; as every portable material has its way of transportation. Also, this profession has its own dress code; as its worker are distinguished by wearing wide trousers, and head covering.

When you enter the areas Al-Muski and Bab El-Sharia, you will find the porters on the right and left, looks like you have entered their kingdom. You will hear voices yelling “clear the way! Get out of the way, man”, and you will see a man pushing a trolley full of goods from one place to another, all for a living.

“Although, porterage is a miserable profession, the shops cannot dispense of them in transporting goods. Additionally, those workers don’t have pensions or insurance for their lives,” a porter told us. Porters had a syndicate in the past, now they don’t have any rights; however, this profession still exists. It will be good to raise awareness that this profession is like any other profession and its workers have their own rights like any other job.