Beyond the Port Worker
by
Censu Galea
Minister for Competitiveness and Communications

For the last couple of weeks, government has been voicing its intention of a port restructuring exercise aimed at reforming current work practices and removing or substituting obsolete ones. Many believe that one of the main problems within our ports is the port worker structure and functions. One has to be careful. It is not the case of merely pointing fingers at the port workers, as the present structure is much more complex than one can imagine, with a number of internal sectors, and therefore service providers, involved. All these will form part of our port reform exercise.

The success of the terminal can only be achieved if it encompasses the provision of high quality service, maintaining close relationships with service users and optiminising the use of available resources.

Therefore a paramount issue to be tackled are the above-mentioned service providers. These are of the essence to ensure smooth operations coupled with reasonable charges for services and have to be addressed to. A case in point is the handling of cargo. Perennial difficulties exist in the handling of cargoes in Valletta due to the segregation between ship-board and shore operations.

Therefore this situation leads to a multiplicity of service providers resulting in double handling and double charging. This situation is no longer acceptable. Therefore we are also aiming at seriously focusing on more efficiency with regards to the handling of cargo and ensure that whoever is responsible does indeed reflect the agreements with the terminal operator. It is the company possessing ownership of the equipment which should be used for such handling, and not other private contractors which are engaged for the same purpose, adding further to the end bill of the port user.

Another cardinal point of reference is the Malta Maritime Authority, which as the port administrator, is the port regulator. Here too I intend to carry out an overhaul in its function and operations, creating in the process a one-stop-shop for maritime services.

As regards the organisation of port workers, the system is complex harbouring an exclusive regime, outdated and inflexible structures. Their costs do not reflect the number of man hours required to carry out a job but are based on decade old tariffs when port work was more labour intensive. A port worker organization should be considered whereby they will be in a position to conclude agreements with the terminal operators and not with the end user itself.

There exist no set of regulated port tariffs but these vary from time to time. This is especially pertinent, again, to the handling of cargo. It is therefore to be noted that when the total amount is calculated, compared to other European and Mediterranean ports, the total costs for handling of domestic cargo is among the highest. This incurs extra burdens on the user, and ultimately to industry and the consumer. This besides from unauthorized negotiations done at shore between the importers and other parties, leading to the handling of overhead monies for the handling of cargoes. This has to cease! There exists no justification to induce costs at no reason whatsoever.

This is the basis of the reform, and it takes much more than pointing fingers solely at the port workers. Even though their work practices have to be revisited, they are part of the whole exercise and not the fulcrum. Excessive port tariffs and practices are vital targets to be focused upon when implementing the whole exercise.

Government has set clear targets in mind and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has underlined port reform as one of the main priorities of this government. Once the domino effect starts and is completed we will have much more competitive ports, ready to rise at any occasion, and indeed be a Mediterranean hub.

I only augur one thing…that all those stakeholders who have expressed the above concerns at my office do comprehend this necessity, and not fight for the interests of the few. Our country deserves much more than that, and as we politicians have been elected on a democratic mandate to deliver, intend to do so till the very end.