May go-ahead for Marseilles Fos port reform transfers

National agreements on French port reforms signed on April 15, will come into force at Marseilles-Fos from next month (May 2011) with the transfer of some 400 port authority personnel to private or part-private stevedoring companies.


The breakthrough on tripartite agreements covering all major French ports coincided with the signing of a national agreement on the linked issue of retirement age.


The transfers at Marseille-Fos will take effect between May 3 and 31 depending on the terminal. The facilities affected include Fos container terminal, to be operated by stevedores Eurofos and Seayard; the ore and grain terminals, to operate under Carfos; and the Mourepiane container terminal in Marseilles, which will be run by Intramar and Intramar STS, a joint venture between the stevedore and the port authority.


In addition, the Fos and Lavera oil terminals – deemed to be of national importance - will be operated by Fluxel, a specially-formed company in which the port authority has a majority stake.


The authority welcomed the agreements as a decisive advance that would bring terminal operations in line with the practice at other major European ports.


Meanwhile, Q1 cargo throughput at Marseilles Fos was pegged to 21.8m tonnes – up 1% on last year - in the wake of domestic and overseas political unrest.


General cargo fell 11% to 3.5m tonnes, notably as container traffic slumped 17% to 201,149 teu. The port authority pointed out that the first three months of 2010 were particularly good, but admitted that strikes last October and in January had taken their toll as clients showed ‘prudence’ in waiting for the French port reforms to be implemented.
(Source:http://www.container-mag.com)