The man remembers the first time he went to the doctors for a medical certificate. "The doctor asked me what I did for a living. I replied that I was a farmhand. He didn't understand what that was," recalled Tadas.

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-"So, the first question is like the one from the legendary children's book 'What Do People Do All Day?' – what do you do all day or all night? If you work shifts. 
-I work shifts. It can be either day or night. I usually work on container ships. My job is to inspect containers during unloading and loading – to record the container, take a photo, and fill out the appropriate form. So, I have to organize the whole process – where to pick up the container and where to place it on the ship. My job is to tell the crane operator where to place the container on the ship.

The work of a talman is done outdoors. Basically, there is nothing to be afraid of – special clothing is provided, you won't freeze in winter, and you won't get wet in the rain. You just need to be prepared for this kind of work, because anyone can do it – our team of talmans includes both men and women. 

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– Where are you from and how old are you?

– I am from Šilutė, but I live in Rusnė. I am 35 years old.

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– Do you commute to work in Klaipėda every day?

– Not exactly, because I work shifts, i.e., 14-16 shifts per month. A shift is 12 hours with a one-hour lunch break. 

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– How long have you been doing this job?

– I started working in 2019. I found an ad, called them, and ended up here, at the port of Klaipėda.

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– What did you do before? Why did you decide you wanted to do this job?
– Before that, we lived in Stockholm, Sweden, for seven years. Then we returned to Lithuania, rented an apartment in Klaipėda, and needed to find work. In Sweden, I worked on road engineering projects and waterproofing. However, I had no experience with container handling. I gained that experience from scratch here, working at the port. At first, I worked as a docker-mechanic. I worked for six months, they saw my good qualities and invited me to work as a foreman.

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– What qualities are needed for the profession of a stevedore, for this kind of work? 
– First of all, you need to be observant and organized, because you have to record various violations and discrepancies. I have to organize the entire shipment of sea containers so that everything is in order.

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– What education do you need to have in order to work as a talman? Is there no education for this profession, and do you just need certain personal qualities?

- No, there is no training for such specialists – talmans. Now there are only specialized vocational schools that are starting to train people for maritime professions. So, I started everything from scratch here and had nothing to do with the port in my life before that – this is an example that you can learn anything, you just need the desire to do so. Here, it's both school and work in one.

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– What do you like about this job?
– I like that the situation here is constantly changing, there is no boring routine, so it's interesting. Different ships, different cargoes. There are also other types of cargo ships, wind turbine parts, electric generators, and various non-standard cargo. 

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– Have there been any adventures in your career that weren't the most fun at the time, but now you remember with a smile?
– Yes, one incident did happen. Admittedly, it wasn't so funny at the time. And it didn't happen to me, but to a colleague 3-4 years ago. He was loading a container ship, and the ship is divided into sections. And he loaded about 40 containers into completely the wrong section. Then everything had to be unloaded and reloaded. At that moment, it seemed like a complete crisis, because this wasn't like putting Lego pieces on a table. At that moment, it seems like you could tear your hair out. But now, when you think about it, you can laugh about it.

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– Have you ever had an incident that you wish had never happened? 
– Once, due to a mistake or carelessness, I loaded the wrong container onto the ship and it sailed to another port. Of course, it was later returned with all its cargo. These are lessons that happen due to carelessness. – Would you like to do any other job at the Port of Klaipėda? – Why not. It would be interesting to try something else. To be honest, I have no complaints about my job as a stevedore, because everything is fine. But later, I could become an STS or RTG crane operator. Crane operator is the highest category in terms of cargo handling, so there is room for career advancement. All doors are open here at the port.

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Link to the article: https://www.delfi.lt/projektai/jura-lietuvai/medicinine-pazyma-del-darbo-klaipedos-uoste-pasiimti-atejes-vyras-suglumino-gydytojus-nesupratau-kuo-dirbsite-120146329

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