Patrick faces legal challenge PATRICK Stevedores was yesterday fighting off the first legal challenges to the dramatic shedding of its entire Australian unionised workforce on Tuesday night.
Containership breaks unofficial union embargo THE Mediterranean Shipping Company containership MSC Singapore yesterday became the first vessel to break the unofficial maritime union embargo and to have cargo handled by dock workers trained by the National Farmers Federation.
NYK 'can lead restructuring' JAPAN'S largest shipping group Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has a "historic opportunity" to lead the way in restructuring the nation's shipping industry, according to a leading investment bank.
New Dm60m survey vessel for BSH New Dm60m survey vessel for BSH GERMAN shipping authority Bundesamt fuer Seeschiffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH) will get a new survey vessel, the Komet, writes Christian Koehl, Bonn.
Tugboat pilots warn of 'unqualified' operators STRIKING Mississippi River tugboat pilots have warned that allegedly unqualified persons may now be operating tugs and insist that the US Coast Guard "closely monitors" the situation.
Good start for Gotaverken GOTHENBURG'S Gotaverken Cityvarvet is expecting a busy year in 1998, as demonstrated by the regular docking and hull modification order placed by Norway's Haugesund-based Johannes Ostensjo for platform supply vessels Edda Freya and Edda Frende. The vessels required 30 tonnes of steel each for the refit jobs.
Indonesia bid to solve box shortage crisis EXPORT and shipowning representative associations are to meet in Jakarta today in a bid to find common ground on how to resolve the box shortage crippling the nation's exporting efforts.
French shipowners seek duty-free deal FRENCH shipowners have called for compromise in the current controversy over the European Commission's planned abolition of duty-free sales next year, suggesting that articles currently sold duty-free could be subjected to tax at a special low rate of between 3% and 5%.
German pilotage study still under discussion DISCUSSION is continuing on a study of German pilotage carried out last year by the federal ministry of transport.
Mississippi tow-boat strike inconsequential THE Mississippi tow-boat masters union, Pilots Agree, has gone ahead with a long threatened strike but disruptions to shipping appear to be minimal.
USCG investigates Mississippi crash THE US Coast Guard could impose more regulations on static river gambling vessels following a collision between three barges and a moored floating casino at St Louis.
Netherlands to fund Cuban ro-ros THE Damex shipyard, Cuba, has confirmed it will use a $3.3m Dutch grant to build two 1,450 dwt ro-ro vessels for Cuba's Navegacion Caribe.
Austal Ships sells to the Turks AUSTRALIAN shipbuilder Austal Ships has signed the nation's biggest lightweight shipping industry deal by selling new ferries to Turkey's Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri.
Norsk Hydro plans Californian facility HYDRO Agri, Norsk Hydro's US subsidiary, has announced plans for a 9m gallon tank farm at Port Hueneme.
Europa's replacement crew chosen HAPAG-Lloyd's work council has announced the replacement of 70 of the Europa's crew following their recent walk out.
Stena acquires UNS shares THE Stena group has announced its purchase of five per cent of the shares in Norwegian shipowner, Ugland Nordic Shipping .
AP Moller announce record profits THE Danish shipping group AP Moller has reported a 12 per cent rise in net profit to Dkr 2.5bn ($357m) for 1997, its all-time record.
Stolt-Nielsen order causes losses at Danyards THE Danish shipbuilder Danyards has announced a loss of Dkr 288m ($41m) last year, following delays with the Stolt-Nielsen order for a series of advanced chemical carriers.
Cargill blames Asian crisis for withdrawals CARGILL Grain Company's vp, Don Vogt, says the company may shut down operations in Seattle and shift exports to Portland, blaming financial pressure due to the Asian crisis.
Court overturns Patrick's mass sacking IN a dramatic turn late on Wednesday, Australia's Federal Court overturned the mass sacking of 1,400 Patrick stevedoring employees.
Australian government aids Patrick redundancies THE Australian government has introduced legislation to help pay redundancies to 1,400 stevedores sacked by Patrick late yesterday.
German builders' productivity remains strong FIGURES soon to be published by the German shipbuilders' association, VSM, show that vessel production is remaining strong despite a dramatic cut in the workforce.
Canadian National aids border clearances CANADIAN National Railway (CN) has introduced a new border clearance process that should speed the passage of cargo through Canadian and US Customs.
Tokyo blueprint for dock deregulation JAPAN has decided to adopt a new three-year deregulation plan that provides for the abolition of the existing dock industry supply-demand regulation set-up.
Work starts on Petronet lng terminal PETRONET LNG has started setting up a Rs 16bn ($405m) lng terminal project on the 50 hectare site allotted to it near Cochin on India's south-west coast.
MHI rethinks expansion plans JAPANESE shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has scaled back its expansion plan in a new mid-term business outline covering fiscal 1998 through fiscal 2001.
ILO issues crew fitness guidelines A COMPREHENSIVE set of guidelines for conducting pre-sea and periodic medical fitness examinations for seafarers has been formulated by the International Labour Organisation.
United Alliance ramène Hanjin/DSR-Senator et Cho Yang à Anvers Le 21 avril prochain, le PC "Najran" (3.800 TEU) de l'armement United Arab Shipping Co (UASC) inaugurera à Anvers, au terminal de la Hessenatie sur l'Escaut, le démarrage du service "Asia Express Container Service" (AEC) du groupe United Alliance constitué on le sait, par les armements Hanjin et sa filiale DSR-Senator, Cho Yang et le partenaire UASC. Cette escale revêtira une importance assez particulière car d'une part, ce sera l'occasion pour l'armement UASC de présenter le premier de sa nouvelle série de 10 PC de cette taille, d'autre part, elle concrétisera le retour de DSR-Senator dans le cadre d'une escale directe à Anvers et y amènera un nouveau client: Hanjin.
Plan d'action des ports français pour les trafics de l'agriculture Dans le cadre des actions du Comité Interministériel de la Mer (CIM, Paris), le gouvernement de Lionel Jospin lance à son tour un plan d'action visant à renforcer l'attractivité des ports français pour les trafics de l'Agriculture. Bon nombre des mesures annoncées concernent l'harmonisation de la concurrence entre ports européens.
Eurotunnel revenue leaps 73% Eurotunnel has made a promising start to 1998 with first quarter revenue 73% ahead at GBP 124.3 million, car shuttle traffic 91% up at 680,875 and new contracts adding more than 300,000 tonnes to take rail freight movements to 832,972 tonnes. Freight shuttles, which did not restart until June 1997 after the tunnel fire, carried 159,192 lorries. March was the service's best month to date with 60,554 lorries and a new daily record of 2,901 set on March 4th.
Travail portuaire: reprise des discussions à Anvers Mercredi dernier les syndicats CVD (catholique), ACLBV (libéral) et BTB (socialiste), ainsi que les organisations patronales portuaires ont renoué le dialogue à l'initiative du médiateur, l'échevin du port d'Anvers, ceci afin de sortir d'une impasse dangereuse.
Reith outlines seven benchmark objectives IN THE wake of Patrick's decision to sack its entire workforce, the federal government yesterday announced "seven benchmark objectives" for waterfront reform. Minister for Workplace Relations Peter Reith said that as part of the reform package the government had established a framework to ensure that any workers made redundant through restructuring of the waterfront received the full value of their benefits.
Lines coy about Patrick plans PATRICK clients were yesterday keeping their counsel over whether or not they would use the new P&CS-manned Patrick operation, although the company's biggest client, Mediterranean Shipping Company, was stating a clear position. With five ships currently on the coast and 464 Australian port calls per annum, MSC spokesman Alan Brown told DCN the company had long-term contracts with Patrick and expected them to honour those contracts.
Confident MUA looks for public support THE Maritime Union of Australia is confident it can overcome the federal government's latest attempt at waterfront reform, the national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, John Coombs, predicted yesterday. Mr Coombs told DCN he did not believe there was a great deal of support in the community for the method in which the government has promoted that change. He said the outcome of the union's action in the Federal Court, which was aimed at preventing Patrick's move could have a significant effect on the row, particularly in the Court ruled in the union's favour.
Service providers fear losses THE phrase 'no gain without pain' has been used repeatedly on the waterfront and the 'pain' element looks set to become a truism for many service providers not directly involved in the dispute, with many already saying they will lose business if the situation escalates or drags on. Port Phillip Sea Pilots president Charles Griffithss said: "We're losing some of our business of course, although at the moment it's only Patrick that's affected. But if it spreads we estimate what we will lose will be about 15 per cent of our business… probably not more than that because it's just not cost effective to ship cargo to Adelaide and move it back by train."
Hein not surprised but still cautious THE chairman of P&O Australia, Richard Hein, said yesterday that he was not surprised by the mass dismissal of waterfront workers by Patrick. Mr Hein said he was surprised that it took so long for the dispute to come to a head. Although he confirmed that P&O supported Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith's benchmark objectives for the Australian waterfront, Mr Hein was cautious when asked when the company would also be taking advantage of the redundancy provisions being advanced by the government. He said P&O Ports and the Maritime Union of Australia were continuing to consult on further waterfront reform.
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