DP World sees 10% fall in box ports volumes

DP WORLD chief executive Mohammed Sharaf has described the first six months of 2009 as the “most challenging operating environment our industry has ever known”.

The comments came as DP World reported a 10% fall in consolidated half year container volumes at its 49 terminals worldwide, which handled 12.3m teu in the six months to June.

The Dubai-based container terminal giant said that the results would lead to “an inevitable decline” in half year profits before tax.

“Despite this decline in volume, DP World continued to outperform the market given our diversified global port portfolio favouring those markets where container trade volumes have been less impacted by the challenging macroeconomic climate, in particular across the Middle East,” the company said.

For the first six months of the year, the company’s home base of UAE reported a 7% fall in volumes to 5.4m teu.

“While DP World has performed better than the market, the 10% decline in consolidated volumes will lead to an inevitable decline in first half profit before tax against the same period last year,” Mr Sharaf said.

“The unpredictable trends in global trade we have seen in the first half of the year continue into the second half of the year.

“Our terminals remain very focused on cost cutting and improving efficiencies to minimise the impact of declining volumes on profitability. At this stage we expect to deliver full year results in line with expectations.”

http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/dp-world-sees-10-fall-in-box-ports-volumes/20017681422.htm;jsessionid=F42BC14FF987B40CB6B8EA75E43D6750.5fa4e8cc80be35e2653c9f87d8b8be45bf6ba69a

MTL Dublin

This is a comment from an earlier post I put up that I would like to bring to your attention.

Peel Ports Marine Terminals Limited today issued letters to all staff on the picket that they were now at risk of being made redundant! When will this end, please show your support for your fellow dockers, you could be next!


And this from the MTL site.


Just to make everyone aware of the situation today,Tuesday the 28th of July 2009. The company issued letters to all the people on the picket telling them that they were "at risk of redundancy". This would wipe out everyone who did not sign up to the company's new terms and conditions. This goes to show you how much regard the company have for the men and women who helped make it what it was.
Please show your support for the workers and let Peel Ports Marine Terminals Limited know that we will not stand for this! Please tell everyone you know of our plight down here in Dublin Port and ask them to support us too.
We cannot let this company get away with what they are doing. It will set the precedent for other companies to do the same and they in turn will ruin more Irish lives and send their profits out of the country!

Southampton revives Dibden Bay project

The port of Southampton has revived plans to develop its Dibden Bay facility, which was rejected by the UK government in 2004 following a protracted public debate.
Port owner Associated British Ports (ABP) yesterday launched a public consultation process on its 20-year master plan for the port, which identifies Dibden as the last remaining greenfield site where significant extra port capacity can be created.
Port director Doug Morrison said: “Southampton’s master plan is a voluntary process by ABP and the consultation is in line with the Department for Transport’s guidance for the UK’s major ports’ development.
“The pre-consultation began in June and the public consultation begins today and will continue until 13 November 2009.
“We will collate all of the comments received during the consultation and where appropriate we will incorporate them into the master plan with the intention of publishing it by the end of 2009.
“The important thing to remember is that the master plan is not a planning application.”

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/newsarticle.htm?artid=20017680058

Dublin dockers vow to continue strike action

No signs of resolution to industrial dispute over proposed cutbacks at Peel Ports facility


Striking dockers at one of Dublin’s largest container terminals have vowed to continue industrial action for as long as necessary.
Dockers at Peel Ports-owned Marine Terminals Ltd (MTL), which represents around 25% of traffic handled at the port, went on strike on 3 July after negotiations over redundancy packages, pay cuts and operating procedures broke down.
"We’re still on strike and there is no sign of us coming back off strike," one docker told IFW.
"There are a select few members of staff who have passed the pickets and they [MTL] are bringing in staff from other terminals, but we’re going to keep going for as long as we need.
"A lot us don’t feel they’re ever going to back down because we’ve spoken to staff at other terminals Peel Ports has taken over and they’ve told us they also went in for negotiations, but Peel refused to actually negotiate. It was their way or you’re out."
A Peel Ports spokesman confirmed a number of workers were on strike but added the terminal was still operating effectively.
"The port itself is operating very smoothly, the customers have in fact been commenting on how extremely smoothly things have been running and this proves how little impact there has been on customer traffic," he said.
Both parties have agreed to return to the negotiating table on 4 August when a meeting will be held by the Labour Relations Commission, an independent industrial dispute resolution body.
However, the Peel Ports spokesman refused to say whether he expected differences to be resolved at the meeting.
"That remains to be seen. The union has adopted a fairly entrenched position, and, given the economic downturn, there really needs to be efficiencies made. Some of the dockers are earning €75,000 (US$106,000) per year, which is substantially above the industry norm."
MTL would like to make €60,000 the maximum pay.
Marine Terminals has so far made 19 members of the 81-strong workforce redundant, with five of those being voluntary.
The workers’ union SIPTU-MPGWU has said it understands redundancies and pay cuts may be needed, but claims these must be negotiated rather than just thrust on workers.
In a letter to MTL, SIPTU-MPGWU organiser Oliver McDonagh said: "The issue is the company’s continuance to change the contract of employment and to diminish the terms and conditions of our members without discussion, negotiation and agreement."
He added: "The company does not have the right under any statute to unilaterally change the contract of employment without going through this process."

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/newsarticle.htm?artid=1248286139713

Inquiry launched into crane collapse

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched its inquiry into the crane collapse at DP World Southampton (DPWS).
The HSE said it was working as quickly as possible to establish the cause of the collapse on 13 July but it was impossible to say when its findings would be published.
"We have identified some significant lines of enquiry and we have issued some precautionary advice to the ports industry as a result, " it said.
"We now know that there are no cranes of an identical design anywhere else in the UK. All cranes at DPWS of a similar design and age to the model that collapsed on Monday have been taken out of use while the initial investigation continues."
Meanwhile, the crane’s driver, Jay Squibb, 33, is showing signs of recovery after being seriously injured in the collapse.
DPWS said it was hoping to have 10 gantry cranes and a mobile harbour crane available for operation from today.

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/newsarticle.htm?artid=1248286139653

Swine flu latest... Have you seen any improvement in cleaning in the mess rooms?

I think most of us now know somebody with it. I was sat in the mess room the other day with someone that ended up on the sick at the end of our last set of four shifts. He's got it and as far as I know basic cleaning hasn't been stepped up. The only time the tables get cleaned is when we take it upon ourselves to do it.
I think it's about time disinfectant wipes were available in the mess rooms at the least.

Latest figures
There were an estimated 100,000 new cases of swine flu in the UK in the week ending July 19. Total deaths stand at 31. More than 800 people with swine flu have died worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic.
At this week's update on the swine flu situation, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, also said:
There were 840 seriously ill people in hospital with swine flu. Of these, 63 were in intensive care
Under 14-year-olds continue to be the age group predominantly affected
The provisional number of deaths in England related to swine flu was 26, and around 16% did not have any underlying health conditions. The figure is the same as last week because some unrelated deaths have been removed and others added. (This figure represents the number of deaths in individuals with swine flu but does not represent the number of deaths that can be attributed to swine flu).
The disease is generally mild in most people so far, but is proving severe in a small minority of cases.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/04April/Pages/Swineflulatest.aspx

No green shoots here, says TUC

Commenting on the GDP figures for the second quarter of 2009, published today (Friday) by the Office for National Statistics, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'There are no green shoots here. Unemployment is growing and a recovery that brings hope to the jobless looks ever more distant.
'Immediate big spending cuts are the last thing we need. They could tip the economy into an ever deeper downturn and make the deficit worse when the tax take falls and spending on unemployment goes up. With consumers and companies failing to spend, the public sector must fill the gap.'

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-16787-f0.cfm