Marseilles completes port reform

Marseilles Fos Port Authority has completed the transfer of all its personnel and equipment to privatised terminals, as required under national port reforms, ifw-net reports.


The last of 410 members of staff were transferred on Saturday, when 41 crane drivers and maintenance staff, four gantries and a mobile crane were assigned to newly formed operator Intramar STS.


Cargo handling at the port is now entirely carried out by private or part-private companies.


On 3 May, a total of 160 Fos-based personnel were transferred to Eurofos and Seayard at the container terminal, and to Carfos at the ore and grain terminals.


Six post-panamax container gantries were also handed over, together with cranes and conveyor plant for the dry bulk operations.


This was followed on 16 May by the transfer of 210 personnel, discharge arms and the pipeline network for the Fos and Lavera oil terminals.


The port authority said: “Under the national reforms, the port authority’s overriding future focus will be on development and infrastructure. In this respect, the executive board hosted a meeting on 24 May to seek further backing from its public funding partners.”


Strikes have blighted the French port industry over the past couple of years as unions staged a series of strikes against government plans to transfer workers to the private sector and increase the age of retirement.


But in April, a breakthrough on tripartite agreements, covering all major French ports, coincided with the signing of a national agreement on the linked issue of retirement age, meaning workers could start to be transferred to the private sector.
(Source:http://en.portnews.ru)