Following the European Commission’s adoption of a new regulation and communication, ‘Ports: en engine for growth’, earlier this week, the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF) has expressed concerns that the proposals could have on workers in technical-nautical services.
While, the ETF is concerned for pilotage, towing and mooring workers, it says it is satisfied with the fact that the Commission decided not to touch upon port labour organisation in the proposals and that cargo handling is excluded from market access rules.
“Our point of view is that any attempt to deregulate technical nautical services should be strictly defined and controlled to avoid marine casualties that would pose a threat to the marine environment and put human lives at risk,” said Philippe Alfonso, ETF political secretary for maritime transport.
“Even if dock labour is not included in the new regulation it is clear that liberalisation of port labour is still on the Commission’s agenda,” added Terje Samuelsen, section chair, ETF Dockers. “The strategy seems to have changed as we have passed from comprehensive one-size-fits-all proposals to targeted interventions at national level. Furthermore, in its Communication the Commission clearly indicates its intention to come back on the issue of port labour in 2016.”
A position paper on the Commission’s proposals will be issued in the coming months after an in depth analysis of the draft communication and regulation.
Never let it be said that the European Commission gives up on a fight: liberalisation proposals for ports in the trading bloc have resurfaced once again, undaunted by the backlashes to the previous incarnations in 2003 and 2006.
This time, European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas has taken up the mantle with what has been widely viewed as a watered down version of the contentious port reform packages of a decade ago.
Any reference to dock labour has been removed - no doubt due to its ability to raise heckles regardless of intent: the attempt to liberalise ship loading and unloading in earlier versions ultimately proved to be the downfall of the whole package.
However, even the omission of dock labour reforms has raised eyebrows, most notably at the European Transport Worker’ Federation (ETF). Its officers see a hidden agenda where the liberalisation of port labour has simply been shifted down the line.
Instead, Mr Kallas has focussed on open markets, autonomy and financial transparency – all laudable aims. Indeed, if the EU can wean out the excess public funding subsidising European ports to the detriment of others, let it get cracking.
Mr Kallas’ proposals name-check Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg as the dominant European ports, but with that limited scope comes bottlenecks, congestion and ultimately additional costs.
Short sea shipping is, not for the first time, singled out as the answer to boosting unimpeded EU movements.
The figures are particularly attractive: Europe could save E10bn by 2030 if this proposal is agreed by the European Parliament.
Cool welcome
The response to Mr Kallas’ attempt to reform European ports has been muted to say the least. The European Sea Ports Organisation is widely happy with the proposals, but questions what the reforms will really mean for port autonomy. For its part, the ETF has expressed satisfaction at the diversion away from port labour organisation and that cargo-handling is excluded from market access rules. But it still has concerns on how the rules might affect workers in six other specified areas: pilotage, towage, mooring, bunkering, waste disposal and dredging.
The decision to steer clear of the controversial labour element is a wise one, and the low-key industry response reflects that. However, Mr Kallas needs to convince the European Parliament of his plans before the industry needs to really start paying attention. And this proposal has prior form on that front; previous attempts have not made it past that Parliamentary hurdle.
Will Mr Kallas break that glass ceiling to get ports through the EC machine at last? Perhaps. After all, the EC has plenty of other things on its plate at the moment to divert attention away from a diluted ports package.
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