Minister receptive on SeaFrance plan
Unions say he was keen to 'safeguard service and jobs' under workers' buy-out plan - and wants ferries to return to sea
UNIONS representing workers at embattled cross-Channel ferry firm SeaFrance said Transport Minister Thierry Mariani had been "very receptive" to their plans for a workers' buy-out to save the company.
Its ferries have been tied up at Calais since last Tuesday after the Tribunal de Commerce in Paris rejected a five million euro bid by rival DFDS/LD Lines.
Mariani said after the meeting his main objective was to "safeguard the service and, therefore, the jobs".
Union officials told 20 Minutes he was "surprised" that the company was keeping its vessels tied up and "would be asking for them to be put back into service".
SeaFrance said its ships were "tied up at the quayside until problems related to the administrator, safety and security are resolved. This could take some time."
The DFDS plan would have seen a new company created to serve Dover-Calais and with three of the four SeaFrance vessels being maintained. However, only 460 jobs out of the present SeaFrance workforce of 800 would be retained.
Unions had put together a cooperative bid which would see all four vessels and all jobs maintained. They are now in talks with Nord - Pas-de-Calais region on a 10 million euros cash injection but still have to find up to 25 million euros to finance a full bid.
The two bids were the only offers left on the table after the European Commission ruled out a proposed restructuring plan for SeaFrance, which would have seen additional financing of 160 million euros coming from state-owned SNCF. The EC said the deal involved too much state aid.
Both the unions and DFDS/LD Lines now have until December 12 to come up with new costings for their bids.
Dover-Calais rival P&O Ferries has denounced increased state aid for SeaFrance, which went into administration after it made 240 million euros losses last year. It has also sent a sixth ferry to boost its service on the route.
Economy Minister François Baroin has asked the European Commission withdraw its rejection of the SNCF aid offer.
SeaFrance says its website www.seafrance.com will be updated with the latest news. It also has a helpline on +44 (0) 845 458 0666
