Make this your homepage
Welcome to Africa&China Shipping Market
Industrial News

Fos stevedores transfer to private companies

2011-05-06 00:00:00

National agreements on French port reforms will come into force at Marseilles-Fos from May, 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 facilities affected include Fos container terminal, which will be operated by Eurofos and Seayard stevedores; the ore and grain terminals will operate under Carfos and the Mourepiane container terminal in Marseilles 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 will be operated by Fluxel, a specially-formed company in which the port authority has a majority stake.


However, the reform process lead to mixed first quarter results. General cargo fell 11% to 3.5MT, 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.portstrategy.com)