Employers reject ITF wage claim GLOBAL shipping employers have flatly rejected International Transport Workers' Federation demands for a $200 increase in the minimum monthly wage for seafarers worldwide by 2001.
Deadline extended for ResidenSea financing ResidenSea, the company that plans to build a $545m seagoing luxury resort, has extended a deadline for raising cash to start construction but insisted the scheme was not about to fail.
Shipping industry 'will get worse' CONDITIONS in the shipping industry will continue to deteriorate, warns investment bank Warburg Dillon Read, underlining the need for further consolidation.
Hoegh buys major stake in Gorthon Norway's Leif Hoegh & Co has bought its way into a powerful position at Gorthon Lines with the acquisition of a major voting stake in the Swedish operator from chairman Lennart Bylock, writes our Oslo Correspondent Hoegh has bought a 6.1% stake in Gorthon's A and B shares, representing 34.8% of the votes in the company from Mr Bylock. Financial details were not disclosed. Based on voting power, Hoegh has become the largest single stakeholder in Gorthon Lines.
Ship finance banks dwindle THERE appears to be more bad news for shipowners as the number of active shipping finance banks has decreased for the second year running, according to figures produced by Petrofin Research.
STN Atlas in SAIT-Radio Holland talks STN Atlas Marine Electronics is discussing a takeover of Brussels-based SAIT-Radio Holland with major shareholders of that company.
Pathfinder shows way at SHI DRIVING rain failed to dampen the spirits at Samsung Heavy Industries' Koje shipyard near Pusan where the world's largest deepwater drilling vessel was officially named the Deepwater Pathfinder.
Closing time Closing time: The commissioner of the World Fair Expo-98 Torres Campos (right) hands over the flag of the International Exhibitions Bureau to the commissioner of Hanover-2000 Birgit Breuel at the closing ceremony in Lisbon. Portugal's world fair was devoted to the oceans. The fair played host to a total of 148 countries and was visited by 10 million people.
Finnish plan 'could cause friction on board' A PROPOSAL to recruit cheaper crews to operate on Finnish-flag ships could cause friction on board, said Rederi AB Engship md Kaj Engblom.
Adelaide to take panamax bulkers AUSTRALIA'S most efficient major port, Adelaide, is to be expanded to accommodate 80,000 dwt panamax class grain vessels.
CN backs Halifax superport ambitions HALIFAX has received the support of Canadian National Railway in its bid to become the east coast superport for M'rsk and Sea-Land.
Leif Hoegh lifts stake in Gorthon LEIF HOEGH, the Norwegian shipping group, has lifted its stake in the Swedish forestry product carrier specialist Gorthon Lines to 34.8 per cent.
Australia braced for second week without gas AUSTRALIA'S energy emergency has entered its fifth day with the south-east of the nation being warned it will be without gas for another week.
Med ferry lines to work closer together GRANDI Navi Veloci's new Genoa-Barcelona ferry service is to be linked with the catamaran service from Barcelona to the Balearic Islands set up by Buquebus Espana.
Caltex keeps up pressure over Doña Paz CALTEX Philippines has asked the Supreme Court to nullify the Court of Appeals decision exonerating Sulpicio Lines from any liability in the Doña Paz tragedy.
Cammell Laird rights issue flops UK shiprepairer Cammell Laird's '13.2m ($22m) rights issue had a take-up of only 15 per cent, the underwriters Beeson Gregory revealed yesterday.
Slump leaves financiers sombre SLUMP in shipping and the crisis in Asia cast a sombre mood over a shipping finance forum in London today.
Finland acts to keep flag competitive FINLAND'S transport ministry is planning to shore up the rapidly deteriorating competiveness of the country's flag.
Lauritzen rejects Danyards closure estimate J Lauritzen has rejected suggestions that it would cost Dkr500m ($37m) to close ailing shipbuilder Danyards.
Berndsen lambasts EC over TACA fines P&O Nedlloyd co-chairman Leo Berndsen used the naming ceremony of the P&O Nedlloyd Rotterdam yesterday to lambast the EC for its decision to fine TACA members.
Smit to offer towage in Hamburg SMIT, the Rotterdam-based towage company, has announced that its German subsidiary is to offer harbour towage in Hamburg from the beginning of 1999.
Royal Caribbean lifts Georges aid ROYAL Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises are to donate a further $100,000 to the American Red Cross relief efforts in the Florida Keys.
Passenger management courses approved APPROVAL of a range of STCW '95 training courses by the Bahamian Maritime Authority will enable a UK-based company to gain further approvals.
Halifax compte sur Sea-Land et Mærsk pour développer un grand terminal Les armements Sea-Land et Mærsk mettent actuellement les ports nord américains des côtes est et ouest sous forte pression pour qu'ils s'adaptent aux nouvelles générations de grands PC de 7.000 TEU. L'armement danois, on le sait a mis les ports US de la côte est en concurrence pour un projet de grand terminal, ceci essentiellement pour faire pression sur New York. Toutefois, parmi les ports concernés, Halifax semble faire preuve d'une grande détermination. Deux formules de terminal sont ainsi proposées aux armements en question, projets qui entrent d'ailleurs en concurrence.
Renault VI adopte le concept des plate-formes pour ses poids lourds "1998 marquera le retour des deux branches - européenne et américaine - du groupe Renault V.I.. La contribution du groupe au résultat d'exploitation semestriel du Groupe Renault a été de 513 mio de FRF, en amélioration de 700 mio. Par rapport au premier semestre de 1997". C'est ce qu'a annoncé Shemaya Levy, PDG de Renault V.I. à l'occasion du Mondial de Transport.
RGR Shipping entend assurer la continuité des services de Stream-Line Depuis le 1er septembre dernier, une nouvelle agence maritime est opérationnelle sur la place d'Anvers, à savoir la firme R.G.R Shipping Belgium s.a. (1), qui dépend du holding rotterdamois RGR Shipping & Forwarding. La jeune entreprise, placée sous la direction de Jan Fernande assure désormais la représentation du service de l'armement privé norvégien Stream-Line, qui assure au départ d'Anvers la desserte de la côte ouest de la Norvège.
Le "Mondial du Transport" n'a de mondial que le nom Demain jeudi s'ouvre à Paris, à la Porte de Versaille, le "Mondial du Transport routier", le salon du véhicule utilitaire. Les organisateurs de ce salon ont opté pour une séparation des salons de la voiture, du véhicule utilitaire léger et du camion, qui se tiennent toutefois en même temps et dans le même complexe d'exposition. Si quelques premières mondiales sont à noter dans le domaine du camion, les constructeurs de semi-remorques et de carrosseries industrielles brillent par leur quasi-absence.
THCs for S-E Asia trade One of the last bastions of Australia's 'unique' position in international shipping is set to fall with the forthcoming introduction of destination terminal handling charges in the outbound trades to South-East Asia. While years of stern and unilateral resistance by the Australian Peak Shippers Association to any imposition of origination THCs in export trades seems certain to continue, lines of the Trade Facilitation Group have convinced APSA executive president Frank Beaufort of the legitimacy of the destination charges after "extensive negotiations". Destination THCs apply in most major trades from Australia, including East Asia, Europe/Mediterranean, New Zealand and North America with only South-East Asia, until now, and Japan, THC-free.
P&OP removes crane chasers P&O PORTS yesterday pressed ahead with waterfront reform at Container Terminals Australia despite the effect which the move is having on productivity levels. For the first time yesterday the stevedore removed all crane chasers from the site. Until now this had been done only on a limited basis following a hard won agreement to this effect in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, including a trial involving the WorkCover authority. P&O Ports director, Australia and New Zealand, Andrew Burgess admitted that productivity had dropped, but said that in the long run the reforms being implemented would be beneficial.
Road Industry to face stand-downs The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry has made an application to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to insert a stand-down clause into the key national transport industry award covering private transport operators -- the Transport Workers 1983 Award. VECCI's industry manager for transport and distribution services, Neil Coulson, said: "We are making this application to insert a stand-down clause into the award because of the situation confronting transport companies due to the impact of the current disruption to gas supplies. "A number of transport companies have reported to VECCI an imminent shortage of work, following the advice from manufacturers and processors that production will drop or, in some cases, cease due to the gas crisis.
Oceanfast chief resigns Oceanfast chief executive John Farrell has resigned from the company and board following last month's release of disappointing financial results. The results, made in a preliminary report to the Australian Stock Exchange, showed a profit of just over $200,000 on turnover of $55 million for its first year as a publicly listed company. Oceanfast chairman John Button said the board had appointed finance director Robert Boggs as acting CEO. He said Oceanfast had begun the process of finding and selecting a new CEO. Also, a number of changes to the internal management structure were being made in parallel with this appointment.
Evergreen sees Australian offset Australia has been identified by Evergreen as one of the destinations from Europe and the United States which could offset decreasing volumes of cargo in other regions. The comment was made by Evergreen Group chairman Chang Yung-fa at the company's global agency management meeting in Taipei late last week. The biennial meeting, which coincided with the carrier's 30th anniversary, drew 175 people from 54 countries. Mr Chang said Evergreen's agenda included further enhancing its service standards with new vessels, developing new services that encompass an expanded global network and enlarging economies of scale.
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