Australia faces docks showdown AUSTRALIA'S waterfront was on the brink of massive confrontation yesterday as the Maritime Union of Australia started a sit-in at Melbourne's Webb Dock in protest at non-union labour being allowed to work there.
Alpha $175m issue will support fleet expansion ALPHA Shipping, the company controlled by Greece's Economou family, is planning to raise $175m from a high-yield bond issue to support a major fleet expansion programme.
CP Ships reports surge in income CP SHIPS reported a 30% advance in net income last year despite a small decline in the fourth quarter due to a special charge relating to the acquisitions of Lykes and Contship Containerlines.
State of the nation US president Bill Clinton acknowledges the applause of the joint session of Congress before giving his State of the Union address. Vice-president Al Gore (left) and speaker of the House Newt Gingrich are pictured standing behind him.
Maharashtra port plan backed by government THE Australian multinational P&O Ports, which is facing increasing opposition to suspend work on a $1bn, 29-berth port project at Vadhavan, near Dahanu in coastal Maharashtra, has received support from the state government.
Cochin Shipyard COCHIN Shipyard has completed major repairs and upgrading work to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India's mobile offshore drilling unit Sagar Vijay. At a total cost of Rs650m ($16.6m), it was the largest repair project undertaken by the yard. The work involved cyclone damage repairs and upgrading for deepwater drilling.
Chemical carrier slowdown WIDESPREAD fleet expansion over the next two years and lower growth rates in developing countries, especially in southeast Asia, are creating major challenges for the world chemical carrier industry, according to a new study.
Ukraine acts to save seafaring centres UKRAINE has moved to save its threatened seafarers clubs, which have been starved of cash since the collapse of the Soviet Union, following a campaign mounted by the International Committee of Seafarers' Welfare, writes David Osler.
Hutchison's Subic claim 'lacks merit' THE Philippines' solicitor general's office has said the case filed by Hutchison Ports against Sublic Bay Metropolitan Authority should be dismissed because of 'lack of merit'.
Chinese company to ship 40m tonnes of coal in 2000 THE China Coal Import and Export Group (CCIEG) is expected to export 40m tonnes of coal in 2000, representing 80 per cent of the country's total planned coal exports.
Mitsui warns of loss for 1997-98 JAPAN'S Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding will suffer a Yen19bn ($152m) consolidated pre-tax loss for the year ending March.
Lykes renames containerships LYKES Lines, the US carrier now part of the CP Ships group, is gradually renaming its quartet of 3,000 teu containerships deployed on its North Atlantic service.
Amosup signs training accord Amosup, the Filipino officers and seafarers' union, has signed an agreement to train members of the Philippine Association of Maritime Institutions on its training vessel.
ISM could benefit UK seafarers, says union PHASING in of the ISM Code on July 1 and the STCW '95 convention by August 1 should boost prospects for UK seafarers, according to a NUMAST spokesman.
HSS first for Harland and Wolff THE first drydocking of Stena's HSS ferries outside Finnyards has taken place at Harland and Wolff Shiprepairers in Belfast.
UK's MSA detained 156 vessels last year THE UK's Marine Safety Agency detained 156 foreign ships in UK ports during 1997, of which bulk and general cargo vessels accounted for 82 per cent.
Patrick signs non-union stevedore deal AUSTRALIAN stevedore company Patrick has sub-leased part of its Melbourne port facilities to a new stevedoring company which will use non-union labour.
Many drowned as ship sinks off Sumatra MOST of the passengers on a ship that sank off Sumatra on January 24 were missing presumed drowned.
PSA Corp in Indian port management deal PSA Corp and the Port Authority of India (PAI) have agreed to co-operate on a port management operations programme.
Asian woes could cost the US $3bn THE chief economist with the US Agricultural Department has warned that the current economic downturn in Asia may cost US farmers as much as $3bn in lost exports.
KTN/SPT: les investissements se poursuivront chez FCT "L'année 97 fut particulièrement bonne pour notre groupe, tant du point de vue chiffre d'affaires que du cash flow opérationnel. La présence sur le marché français s'est accentuée avec succès et sans déboires nous avons pu poser les fondations de notre globalisation dans les secteurs Nafta, Mercosur et asiatique. Par ailleurs, des bases solides ont été posées en vue d'une poursuite de la croissance et de développements en Belgique et en Europe de l'Ouest. Enfin, nous créons une avance sur le plan de la compétitivité grâce au développement de notre technologie, nos concepts logistiques étant soutenus par des techniques de pointe, de l'ingéniérie et des idées innovatrices". F. Huts, le président du groupe Katoen Natie/Seaport Terminals s'est montré au cours d'une conférence de presse, particulièrement satisfait de l'exercice écoulé, manifestation qui fut l'occasion de commenter les principaux aspects de l'évolution ainsi que les perspectives dans les différents domaines d'activité.
Les filiales de CP assureront 216 escales à Anvers en 1998 "Si nous prenons en considération les services de trois des filiales de CP Ships qui touchent le port d'Anvers sur une base régulière, à savoir Canada Maritime, Lykes Lines et Contship, ils y réaliseront ensemble 216 escales directes cette année, ce qui est assez exceptionnel pour un transporteur qui démarra ses activités il y a 100 ans et fréquenta régulièrement le port scaldien avec çà et là des interruptions". C 'est ce qu'a déclaré Gordon A. Braun, Executive Director de Canada Maritime Services Ltd à l'occasion de la manifestation donnée pour le lancement de la nouvelle agence maritime anversoise dédiée "Canada Maritime Agencies s.a." qui a pris la relève d'ASECO.
Nouveau service containérisé Zeebrugge/Duisbourg à partir de mars La MBZ poursuit ses efforts pour développer les liaisons entre Zeebrugge et son hinterland. Un service additionnel pour le transport de containers reliera à partir du 1er mars prochain le port côtier belge à Duisbourg, qui servira de hub ferroviaire, routier et fluvial pour le trafic de et vers d'autres destinations rhénanes et intérieures. La navette sera assurée par une unité fluvio-maritime à faible tirant d'air affrétée par l'autorité portuaire zeebrugeoise elle-même, mais dont l'exploitation opérationnelle sera confiée à l'armement Cemar. A Duisbourg, l'initiative peut compter sur la coopération de l'opérateur du terminal multimodal DeCeTe et sur le soutien de l'autorité portuaire locale.
NFF, govt fuel waterfront fire The Maritime Union of Australia has accused the National Farmers' Federation of setting up a "cowboy company" to bust the union, and named one of the country's major stevedores, Patrick, as being allegedly involved in a bid to lock out workers on the Melbourne waterfront. The union identified three Australia's closely connected with the NFF and the federal government who have set up a new company group to allegedly take over from International Port Services Training Group, Fynwest and the failed Dubai training scheme.
A tangled Webb? By this morning there should be clearer indications whether yesterday's rapid escalation in what mainstream media are labelling "the war on the waterfront" was a new round of name-calling or the beginning of the real thing.
Port Waratah CS rules out MUA talks Port Waratah Coal Services general manager David Brewer has ruled out any discussions with the Maritime Union of Australia while a campaign of protected industrial action is in place. Mr Brewer told DCN yesterday that he would like to get to the negotiating table as soon as possible, but would not be doing so when industrial action was taking place.
Davie on way up at Infratil Port of Portland chief executive Peter Davie is to transfer to parent company Infratil Australia's Sydney office, where he will take up an as yet untitled position encompassing additional port sector responsibilities. Mr Davie has led the port company since the Victorian government sold Portland to a joint venture between Infratil and Mt Gambier's Scott Group in 1996.
Austal wins contract Austal Ships has made an important breakthrough in the Greek market with the sale of a 48-metre high speed catamaran to fast-ferry operator, Ceres Hydrofoil Joint Service. The purchase of the $15 million vessel represents a new direction for Ceres which has predominantly operated hydrofoil craft.
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