Implementation of French port reform legislation by the April 2011 deadline will include the transfer of around a third of Marseilles Fos’ personnel to various companies that are to run future operations.
“In essence, the reforms will see terminal operations handed over to private operators, leaving the port authorities as 'landlords' responsible for infrastructure,” says Paul Ellis, spokesman for Fos. This includes the transfer of relevant port authority personnel - notably crane drivers and maintenance staff - to the private stevedoring companies, a subject which, along with the raised retirement age, sparked the recent spate of strikes at many French ports. However, says Mr Ellis, “The ports have made guarantees on safeguarding employment and the associated pension rights.”
While arrangements for the transfer of personnel and equipment from Graveleau container terminal to the Fos 2XL operators have been set out, negotiations are still continuing on the manning and operational arrangements.
Terms for the handover of equipment at the Mourepiane container terminal were agreed last year, and the board has also signed operational contracts and agreements for the handover of equipment to Sea-Invest, the stevedores at the public ore terminal and the Tellines grain terminal.
A more recent complication is that the French government wishes to raise the retirement age for all workers from 60 to 62. The dock workers, however, say that their jobs should be classified as hard labour, which would entitle them (like miners) to retire two years earlier. Further, they are arguing that this should be two years before the current rather than proposed retirement age, ie, at 58 rather than 60.
