Power

Taking orders is the bread and butter of your position, which means you say "aye, captain" and do the assigned task, no questions asked. A captain has no time for power trips from a subordinate when trying to navigate the cargo and crew to safety. As a container ship sailor, it's all about keeping your head down and doing your job, no matter how much you want to shout your own orders for once.

While personal power might be limited, there's another kind of power to consider: the might of the crew. You and your fellow sailors are a force to be reckoned with when working cohesively. 

Though your captain might be the one giving the orders, it's your and your fellow sailors' hard work that gets you from point A to point B swiftly and safely. Without your killer team effort, all of those containers full of goods would be stuck at port or floating around in the middle of the sea somewhere.

 
If all else fails, there's always mutiny. (Source)

Sailors also find their power in the collective strength of unions, which protect the rights of those at sea and fight for justice when those rights are not upheld. From pensions to proper working conditions, there are a wide variety of reasons sailors find it beneficial to join up with their fellow seafarers and fight for the rights of the worker.