Marseilles Fos completes port reform transfers

The final stage occurred at the Mourepiane container terminal on June 4, when 41 crane drivers and maintenance staff, four gantries and a mobile crane were assigned to newly-formed Intramar STS.

Cargo handling at the port is now entirely carried out by private or part-private companies. On May 3, 2011 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 May 16 with the transfer of 210 personnel, discharge arms and the pipeline network for the Fos and Lavera oil terminals.

Under the national reforms, the port authority’s overriding future focus will be on development and infrastructure. The hope now is that the strikes that have badly affected French ports during the past two or three years as workers have demonstrated against privatision, are now over.