Terminal management to approach union officials later this week over proposed short-time working plans
JadeWeserPort, Germany’s new deepwater container facility, has announced plans to put its 400 employees on part-time hours.
The management of Wilhelmshaven Port, which has attracted just two weekly services since its opening in September last year, will enter talks with union officials on Friday in regards to the new proposals.
However, employees at the terminal will not be too downhearted by the news as they will be protected by the Kurzarbeit system, which the German government set up to protect worker against the loss of earnings on reduced hours in a bid to help safeguard the jobs and skills of its citizens.
Last month, as reported by PTI, Eurogate, the terminal operator and 70 percent shareholder, announced that it plans to sue the WilhelmshavenPort
Authority over the level of dues based on ship capacity being charged. The port authority offered an opening rate of 70 percent on tariffs, to be reduced to 50 percent in the New Year, to give the new port an advantage over neighbouring Hamburg and Bremerhaven.
However, the port authority is under mounting pressure to reduce its harbour dues as its rivals have reacted to the slump in Northwest Europe’s containerised trade by freezing and discounting their respective rates.
JadeWeserPort, a joint venture between Eurogate and APM Terminals, is the only German container portcapable of handling vessels with a capacity of 18,000 TEU regardless of tidal conditions.
Could this be London Gateway in 12 months time ?
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