By Robin Chan

THERE are plenty of bosses cutting costs these days, but at PSA it is the staff who are leading the charge with measures great and small to help the port operator navigate the turbulent waters.

The initiatives range across the entire organisation and while some save only tiny amounts, they symbolise the kind of solidarity that binds the company.

Take the decisions of a large number of the 600 technicians who have begun volunteering to take days off instead of claiming pay for overtime hours.

Or business units that now put together their own gift hampers instead of ordering pre-packaged ones from retailers.

These measures have helped to protect the jobs of employees at PSA, where there have been no reports of job cuts so far. The port operator employs about 25,000 staff across 28 ports in 16 countries, including about 6,000 permanent staff in Singapore.

Ms Caroline Lim, PSA International's global head of human resource and corporate affairs, said: 'The overarching priority is to preserve jobs for PSA employees by reducing costs.'

The staff have been galvanised by the harsh reality staring them in the face when they look out the windows of the PSA building on Alexandra Road.

Activity has been seizing up in the world's busiest port. The number of containers handled fell for the first time in seven years last November compared with the same month in 2007, with the contraction peaking at 19 per cent in February, as consumers in the US and Europe dramatically scaled back spending.

A slew of cost-cutting measures from the office to the port began to be implemented last October, many initiated by the staff themselves.

Within the office, many things that used to be purchased have now gone DIY.

Instead of engaging caterers, employees now organise their own small official lunches and dinners by ordering and collecting food from restaurants.

Floral centrepieces on dining tables that could cost between $50 and $120 each have been replaced by simpler ones created by the staff. Gym towels are also being washed by the office cleaner instead of an external laundry service, saving the company about $200 a month.

Training and some design work for branding and communications, as well as company team-building exercises, have also gone in-house.

Crane operators are being sent for cross-training and deployed for other duties like controlling prime movers and supervising wharf operations.

Other measures are smaller but equally symbolic at PSA.

Fresh green apples that used to greet visitors at the PSA's reception area on the 38th floor have now been replaced by styrofoam lookalikes.

And bottled mineral water has been done away with: staff and guests get water from dispensers instead.

Ms Lim said: 'At PSA we have always advocated the value that staff should spend the company's money as if it is their own; that is, to spend it very carefully and responsibly. It causes one to think twice about paying for something if it's coming from one's own pocket.'

With much of the focus on minimising wastage of paper and electricity, the company is helping to protect the environment too. For example, the PSA Group's quarterly newsletter, @theHelm, will go online this year instead of being printed in full-colour issues.

Staff switch off lights and turn off power outlets when they leave the office for the day. Energy-saving light bulbs are used to conserve energy.

All office printers are set on 'energy saver' mode. Expended toner cartridges are sold back to the manufacturer in return for reward points. These are then used to redeem cash vouchers from dealers to buy other office items with.

Ms Lim said: 'As the saying goes, little drops of water make a mighty ocean - I am greatly encouraged that many of the measures have been introduced by our staff.

'Indeed, PSA management, staff and unions enjoy a greater sense of belonging and solidarity with everyone pulling in the same direction to achieve the overarching priority of preserving jobs for PSA employees; through this, they feel even more a part of the PSA family.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.