The small family owned Tractor-trailer outfit Beam Brothers has been around since 1990. They have maintaned a very friendly and caring presence in their comunnity. Being Part of the Rockham Educational Foundation and claims them selves as a green company.
Beam Bros. strives to be a green company. Recycling is encouraged, solar power is used to light signage and all shop facilities are heated with truck waste oil. Also, the company provides Spotswood High School with a trailer for recycling items. But i appears that the appearance is only skin deep. Fleet Owner posted a article about the how Beam Bros play innocent everywhere but on the road.1
As a result of an ongoing investigation since 2006, federal agents raided Beam Brothers Trucking, Mt. Crawford, VA, on charges of forcing drivers to falsify logbooks. According to WHSV News, federal warrants show workers reported their supervisors forced them to lie about the hours they worked in order to get paid. Agents said more than seven witnesses complained about having to falsify their logbooks. One worker reported having to drive from Knoxville, TN, to Dallas, TX, for Beam Brothers and since that worker couldn t make the trip in less than 11 hours, he said management made him lie about his hours worked.
Some of the workers said they were told to destroy their logbooks at the end of their routes and fill out new ones. Federal agents raided the trucking company on Feb. 12 based on this evidence.
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Country: United States of America
Closing date: 05 Feb 2013
Crown Agents USA, Inc. (CA-USA) is seeking a Supply & Deliver Coordinator for the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) project in Arlington, VA.
Crown Agents is an international development company with offices in more than 30 countries, employing over 600 personnel worldwide. Crown Agents provides direct assistance, management consulting, and human and institutional development for public and private sector clients, particularly in customs and trade facilitation, public financial management, procurement, logistics, and health systems strengthening. Crown Agents currently operates in more than 85 countries on projects with an annual value of more than $181 million.
Crown Agents USA (CA-USA), the U.S. incorporated subsidiary of Crown Agents, provides direct technical assistance, capacity development, and procurement services to stimulate economic growth, establish good governance, and improve health outcomes across the developing world. Since its incorporation in the United States in 1998, CA-USA has provided technical assistance services and support to U.S. Government agencies and international organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and the Gates Foundation.
CA-USA is a subcontractor to the Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PSCM) on the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) contract for USAID as part of the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. SCMS strengthens or establishes secure, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable supply chains capable of meeting the care and treatment needs of people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. In coordination with in-country and international partners, SCMS assists programs to enhance their supply-chain capacity; ensure that accurate supply-chain information is collected, shared, and used; and provide quality, affordable, health care products to those who need them.
Role & Responsibilities
To provide a professional coordination service to the SCMS project: to monitor order processing to ensure compliance with Fulfilment Plan, to consolidate orders with manufacturers and suppliers for pickup and delivery to Regional Distribution Centres and direct to clients by freight forwarding subcontractor.
Coordination of Purchase Orders
Check supplier and manufacturers export documentation for commodities meets country requirements for customs clearance and in country regulatory requirements, following up any queries
Coordinate export shipments, and complete documentation for freight forwarders
Update procurement database and advise suppliers and procurement team to ensure smooth m ovement of procured goods to destination
Check database daily to ensure that orders picked up and issue documentation to enable procurement team to issue Invoices to Suppliers and manufacturers
Deal with any queries from the Freight forwarding team
Assist in development of SCMS procurement management database to effectively support the work of the procurement team
Ensure all relevant information on fulfilment and delivery planning is maintained in the database
Supply Chain Administration
Keep up to date on packaging and shipping requirements for each country and keep procurement and freight forwarding teams informed
Work with procurement and freight forwarding teams to expedite emergency orders and to resolve commodity returns and other fulfilment errors
Any other duties as appropriate to the position, as requested
Bachelor’s Degree required.
Fluency in English is required; bilingual or multilingual ability is preferred.
A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in international pharmaceutical supply chain preferred.
Experience working in USAID / US Government contracting environment preferred.
Must demonstrate personal attributes such as loyalty and integrity in addition to being resourceful and flexible, which is inherent in this position.
How to apply:
To apply to this position, please email your CV to email@example.com. Include your name, along with the title of the position you are applying for, in the subject line. Visit our website at www.crownagentsusa.com for more information about our company. No phone calls, faxes or walk-ins please. Crown Agents USA, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.
Candidate must be able to demonstrate legal right to work in the United States.
Crown Agents USA will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualified disabilities in accordance with the ADA. If you require a reasonable accommodation for our application process, please contact our Recruiting department at ADArequests@crownagents.com. Requests will be kept confidential and shared strictly on a need-to-know basis only.
The International Shipping Company, U.S.A, gives a tab for choosing sea freight service on its home page. From LCL(less than container load), FCL, RO-RO, the tab gives several options. LCL refers to boxes, crates and pellet cargo and is supposed to be a low cost solution for international shipping of smaller quantum of sea freight. However FCL has options for household goods as well as for cars, boats and motor vehicles.
The RO-RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) option is more suitable for customers, who wish to use the sea freight service for shipping heavy vehicles or equipment. This term is often used for highlighting wheeled cargo that can be rolled on or off the vessel.
So whether you are re-locating, or shipping raw materials or transporting finished goods you can now opt from the several packaging options of International Shipping Company. What more, they provide you with transport facilities, tracking options, door to port or door to door deliveries too- All this so that their customers can enjoy a stress free shipping option, with best of services. Automated Sea Freight Shipping System believes in upgrading their services and provide better platform with time as they believe in serving to the customers.
The home page of the site also gives a destination tab for easy calculation of freight cost instantly. A logged in visitor can get instant quote for RO-RO, FCL and LCL sea freight to his desired destination and also compare the prices to arrive at a feasible cost effective solution. In fact, >International shipping companies1 have a clear link to FAQ on export and import of LCL from and to USA respectively. Quotation calculator on the website makes the price comparisons easier for every shipment such that the potential customers have access to a much more transparent platform of pricing, as International Shipping Company values its customers and believes in fair policies.
Important information related to shipping containers, LCL, household goods, insurance, shipping terminals etc. are also found through proper tab of References on the site. Important documentation and other legal paper work information can also be found from the site s Documents tab. Tracking numbers are given with each shipment such that the customers can track their shipment from the comfort of home at a click of button and with no hassles, as International Shipping Companies values its customers and believes in transparency be it with policies, pricing or shipment status.
Bluesea Shipping Lines, Inc is an U.S international shipping company, which is licensed and bonded U.S freight forwarder. Their international sea freight services include commercial sea freight shippers and household goods shipping.
New report identifies clear opportunities for road freight operators to cut carbon and lower costs
By: Tessa Darley December 3, 2012 2:15 PM
Road freight accounts for around 7% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions, with long haul and regional deliveries responsible for 70% of this figure.
Report shows how GHG emissions for HGVs could be significantly cut
A new report1, commissioned by the Transport Knowledge Transfer Network (TKTN) and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP2) and written by Ricardo-AEA for the project partners, focuses on the key technical opportunities. Importantly, it also identifies options to overcome the main barriers to the adoption of carbon reduction technologies, in the road freight sector.
Neil Ridley, Transport KTN Director says
The freight sector is of strategic importance to the UK economy and we need to support and aid its adoption of low carbon technologies. Drawing on learning from other sectors, this report enables all involved in the freight and logistics industry to easily identify the most significant contributors to carbon reduction and fuel improvements by vehicle duty cycle.
The Transport KTN is delighted to have supported this piece of work as we continue to work with government and key strategic industry players to help capitalise on the benefits that these low carbon technologies can offer to the Freight and Logistics industry and the wider community.”
The three key areas with the greatest potential to achieve CO2 emission reductions are:
1) Switching to gas – up to 65 % (biomethane) / 16% (methane) WTW savings
One of the most effective strategies to achieve well-to-wheels (WTW) CO2e emission reduction in this sector is to encourage a large scale shift to the use of gas as a fuel to replace diesel. The UK has an opportunity to support economic growth and export technology with two leading UK companies specialising in dual fuel technology. Non-renewable CNG and LNG could provide significant CO2e reduction (5-16 % saving in UK HGV CO2e for CNG). In the longer term, biomethane could offer even greater reductions (33-65 % saving in UK HGV CO2e). Running HGVs on gas, whether non-renewable natural gas (CNG/LNG) or biomethane (gas or liquid) has the additional benefit of achieving substantial improvements in air pollution.
2) Improving aerodynamic efficiency / reducing rolling resistance – up to 10 % WTW savings
More than half of the energy transmitted to the wheels of a typical long haul HGV is estimated to be lost in rolling resistance, and over a third as aerodynamic drag.1 Long haul and regional delivery vehicles are estimated to account for 70% of total HGV CO2 emissions. These vehicles, as well as many construction vehicles, spend a significant portion of their working life at speeds of 40mph or more. While there is general acceptance and use of some aerodynamic devices, more could be done to encourage uptake which would in many cases result in short payback periods for vehicle operators. Low rolling resistance and single wide tyres offer further CO2e savings while potentially reducing overall costs for vehicle operators. In total it is estimated up to 10% WTW and TTW (tank-to-wheels, i.e. direct) emissions savings are possible.
3) Supporting uptake of hybrid and pure electric vehicles – up to 8 % WTW savings
Hybrid and pure electric vehicle technologies are particularly suitable for urban delivery and municipal utility duty cycles. While these duty cycles only account for about 14% of total HGV CO2e emissions, these technologies have the potential to reduce this contribution by 20-50%2 on a WTW basis. They also provide additional benefits of lower noise and reduce, or in the case of pure electric vehicles, eliminate tailpipe emissions of air pollutants, which is particularly important to improve air quality in urban areas. Hybrid technology can also be applied to HGVs fitted with engines capable of running on gas.
1. The Ricardo-AEA report has fed in to the work of the DfT Strategic Task Force on Fuel Efficient, Low Emission Commercial Vehicle Technologies which is a joint industry/government initiative aimed at promoting the use of fuel efficient, low emission road freight technologies.
2. Led by the Department for Transport, the Task Force membership includes the LowCVP, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Transport Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Freight Transport Association (FTA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA).
Edmonds hydro in San Diego for last U.S.-based race of season
Peters and May crew readies the boat for testing and racing this week in San Diego. (Photo courtesy Hydro News)
Tom Thompson is greeted by his, daughter, Savannah after his first run in the Miss Peters and May. (Photo courtesy Miss Peters and May race team)
By Harry Gatjens
The Edmonds-based Miss Peters and May is in San Diego this weekend for the last race of the United States portion of the 2012 schedule. Owner/crew chief Scott Raney has been preparing the boat for the added difficulties salt water racing presents.
The biggest news for the team is that owner/driver J. W. Myers has had to step down from his driving duties. He injured his shoulder when the boat crashed earlier this year in Detroit. His efforts to drive the boat in the two Washington races has led to further deterioration of his shoulder s condition.
New driver Tom Thompson was chosen after an extensive search to fill in for the remainder of the season. Thompson has significant experience in several limited class hydroplanes on the East Coast. He has been a member of the American Power Boat Association s Hall of Champions for the past three years.
Owner Shannon Raney says that Thompson is the complete package they were looking for in a driver. He is a talented driver, excellent with fans and probably most importantly a great representative for sponsors.
On Friday, Thompson fulfilled all of his requirements 15 laps during testing and qualifying, with 10 of those over 130 mph to qualify as an unlimited class driver.
Thompson was thrilled to have qualified so easily Friday morning. Wow, what a feeling, he said. The Peters & May team did a fantastic job setting up what is a great boat. Super excited! Thanks to the whole team.
There are 12 boats on hand to compete in this weekend s event. Racing starts Saturday at 2 p.m. Follow the race results here on My Edmonds News all weekend long.
After the San Diego race, the boat will get packed up and shipped to Doha, Qatar for the season-ending race. Thompson is expected to drive the boat at that race also.
This entry was posted on Friday, September 14th, 2012 and is filed under Edmonds Sports4. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.05 feed. You can leave a response6, or trackback7 from your own site.
On Wednesday 22 August, Russia will have joined the World Trade Organization as 156th country. It is the last large economy to join the WTO, ten years after China. China s joining resulted in a huge increase in world trade, shipping and the port sector, and caused price rises in shipping transport and capacity shortages in ports. Given the economic stagnation in Europe and the capacity that is currently available, a possible increase in Russian imports and exports will be easier to accommodate. Another difference with then is that China imports large quantities of raw materials and exports consumer products. Russia is the mirror image, and in theory that should provide more opportunities for European industry. Foreign investments in Russia are also picking up due to Russia s mineral riches and energy industry. Alexander Lukashevich, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Russia s joining was the meagre good news during the current international economic instability .
Rotterdam is the most important port for the Russian export of raw materials. The volume transported via the port of Rotterdam, especially in liquid cargo, has grown considerably in the past years. Many recent investments in the port area are related to the Russian market and Russia s joining. The future Shtandart terminal, for instance, concentrates on the throughput of Russian oil to the world market. Russian businesses are also keen to set up in the city. Russia s joining the WTO thus offers the port of Rotterdam many opportunities.
Background facts and figures
Russia s share within Rotterdam s total throughput in 2010 was 14% or 59.8 million tonnes (1). In volume, Russia is Rotterdam s 2nd biggest partner (2). As EU destination for Russian exports. The Netherlands (Rotterdam) ranks 2nd, after Germany. Its share was 13% or 14.3 billion euro in 2009 (3). The three main products are crude oil and oil products, both transported mainly via the Port of Primorsk, and containers transported via St. Petersburg.
Most of the freight heads westward and consists of liquid bulk: 32.2 million tonnes of crude oil and 20 million tonnes of oil products, mainly fuel oil and gas oil (diesel). Russia is the main oil supplier to the Netherlands. In Rotterdam, the Russian market share in crude oil is 30% and in products it is 25%. Other major freight flows are chemicals (approx. 950,000 tonnes), iron and steel (400,000 tonnes), non-ferrous metals (860,000 tonnes) and coal (450,000 tonnes).
The trade to Russia consists almost totally of general freight: 2.3 million tonnes, mainly consumer goods in containers. From Russia, 2.6 million tonnes is exported in containers and as break bulk. The number of containers transported in 2010 corresponds to 446,000 TEU, 57% up on the previous year. Container freight concerns both transhipment from Asia, and intra-European freight ( shortsea ), concentrating on the Port of St. Petersburg, and since recently Ust-Luga. To date a large number of containers for/from Russia is still transported via Finland (224,000 TEU, +36% v. 2009).
The Rotterdam spearheads with regard to Russia are break bulk (paper and wood products, steel and iron), containers and energy (oil, gas, coal, biomass). The oil sector in Russia will be mainly informed about the possibilities for tank storage, ship to ship transfers (dolphins and buoys in Caland Canal) and pipeline transport to the hinterland (4). The Dutch, on the other hand, are interested in the possibilities of the future energy port developments, especially in Primorsk and Yamal/Murmansk.
The Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft have major interests in refineries in Flushing and Gelsenkirchen, both of which are supplied with crude oil via Rotterdam. Lukoil also participates in a tank storage joint venture, STR, which is currently tripling its tank capacity in the Botlek area. Lukoil operates a Benelux headquarters and financial operational centre in the Rotterdam City area as well as other Russian companies, such as the Summa Group.
Logwin organizes Optogan s logistics and manages their procurement, warehousing, distribution and valued added services . Headquartered in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, Optogan is a leading international developer and manufacturer of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Optogan opened a production site in Landshut in Bavaria at the end of 2011. At the same time the company commissioned the logistics service provider Logwin to manage its global supply chain. Our entire goods handling is now in Logwin s hands, says Markus Zeiler, General Manager at Optogan. This challenge can only be met with international presence and powerful networks.
Distribution centres for Europe and Asia
Logistics for Optogan are centred on the Logwin warehouses in Karlsfeld near Munich and Taipei, Taiwan. Each location serves as the distribution centre for its region. Up to 7,600 pallet storage positions are available in Karlsfeld and in Taipei for the storage of Optogan products on a non-mixed basis. Since LEDs are highly sensitive products, high standards regarding equipment, cleanliness, fire protection and security apply in the warehouses and while the goods are being handled. Besides storage and transportation, Logwin will soon be providing incoming goods checking and quality inspections, the assembly of lighting units and returns processing. Optogan is particularly interesting for us for two reasons, explains Marc Styrnal, Manager Sales & Key Accounts Solutions at Logwin. First, because it is a company undergoing dynamic growth whose development we can accompany constructively. Second, because Optogan s products fit in well with our striving for sustainability.
Logistics for sound lighting
Logwin stores finished and semi-finished goods from Optogan at its location in Karlsfeld, and is responsible for order picking and distribution throughout Europe. The logistics specialist organizes the shipment of smaller quantities using CEP services and distributes other consignments via its own networks.
Logwin s second distribution centre in Taipei is responsible for the distribution of LEDs within Asia. At the same time, it is from here that the logistics service provider organizes Optogan s entire air freight operations together with its location in Munich. Whether global import and export of finished goods or international shipments with semi-finished goods between Germany, Russia and Taiwan, Logwin organises air freight transportation, arranges insurance and takes care of customs formalities. Optogan relies on fast and flexible solutions in procurement and distribution, which is why air cargo is the right choice, says Eva-Maria Jackermeier, Senior Sales Manager Air + Ocean at Logwin. In the further course of the project we will develop additional concepts together with Optogan and thus play an active role in setting up logistics structures.
It is not just collaboration in logistics that connects Logwin and Optogan. Logwin is now also the lighting manufacturer s customer. A section of the warehouse in Karlsfeld is currently being equipped with LED lighting from Optogan. We are delighted with this decision, says Markus Zeiler. Logwin will benefit from energy savings and the lower maintenance effort involved. The average lifespan of LEDs is around ten years. Whereas in the past lighting elements suspended from the high warehouse ceilings had to be replaced on a regular basis, this work will in future be reduced to a minimum. We hope the installation of Optogan LEDs will lead to improvements in the working conditions of our employees, says Marc Styrnal. Because LEDs provide a more pleasant light, consistent brightness and they do not flicker.
They came into existence in the late 1980s or we can say in the early 1990s to serve the purpose of tough clothes. They can withstand any amount of wear and can still be quite as good as new. Cargo pants are look-alike of the khaki pants when they first came to the picture but as the youths demand rose above the ordinary so do the funky part of the cargos. That is how they got their multi color patters, but amidst of all these the cargo pants quite retained their material from which they had been made of in the initial stages. Of course there has been a lot of improvisation as far as the material is concerned but the staple material is the same.
All world shipment transportation should go through in both cargo airlines and ocean freight. Those shipping strategies may also be fairly expensive, that is why companies should monitor always the delivery rates being charged so that they can maintain the bottom cost level as possible. Many companies rent a shipment agent, or a number of, to keep monitor the present delivery prices, and the place where the best cargo shipping rates can be found.
For construction contractors, owners and architects, the structural engineering company that you choose for your building project could make the difference between a satisfactory project and one that surpasses the client s expectations. Thinking outside of the box has helped builders and engineers become forerunners of their industry. One idea that has been trending is the re-use of shipping-cargo containers to build homes and structures.
Expensive freight is moved along highways and by air and sea everyday, and security procedures and devices are becoming more necessary for carriers and other companies involved in transporting goods. Today, many security-conscious firms have taken steps to combat theft of their equipment and products.
Wrangler cargo pants, fairly similar to Molecule Pants Wrangler is one of the well-doing brand in the field of textiles, and they also have the cargo unit which produces the best quality cargo for both men and women. The wrangler brand cargos last for a long time and they are affordable too. They come in variety of colors, and are also good in affordable prices making it to be the choice of most youngsters.
Most of the Domestic Cargo Service Provider uses freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (UIC) hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain. Trains may haul bulk material, intermodal containers, general freight or specialized freight in purpose-designed cars.
Creative use of space, hinging doors and a little ingenuity the seemingly daunting job can be done easily at minimal cost, and before you know it, with just 2 people. If you have the help of a moving dolly to save your back muscles even better! There are many places to rent freight forwarder in malaysia1 vans in Vancouver, but an affordable option with great customer service and availability is Pacific Car Rentals. They have two locations in downtown Vancouver so they are ideal for anyone moving to, from or in between places in Yaletown, Coal Harbour or Kitsilano they also rent moving dollies!
While many of us may have experienced flight delays due to weather, airlines are relatively good about staying on schedule. This kind of rigor is not shared by the ocean cargo industry. Ocean carriers are notorious for their it gets there when it gets there mentality. Carriers don t think twice about being a day or two off schedule. If this could make or break your business, an air freight forwarder is definitely the best way to go.
Cargo ship is a sort ship which transports the goods and material from one port to another. This type of cargo is used in business of international trade. Cargo ships are specially designed for the task and it available in different sizes. Generally cargo carrier vessels carry packed items like chemical, garments, food, footwear and many more for export of goods.Generally cargo carrier vessels carry packed items like chemical, garments, food, footwear and many more for export of goods.
San Diego, CA ( freepressreleases ) July 21, 2012 In today s competitive b2b marketing arena, it is important to stay focused on the core business rather than managing the tedious and time consuming freight shipping needs. ACV Logistics, a full-service transportation company offers premium third-party freight shipping for all industries to help companies reduce cost, ensure customer satisfaction and ship products to market faster.
In 2009, B2B online marketing was worth $3 billion and is expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 12% to 2013, according to strategy consulting firm AMR International.
As the b2b market is growing at a rapid rate, b2b companies need to understand the expectation of their customers to avoid losing potential customers. B2b market is a competitive arena in which each company is working out different customer oriented strategies to grab attention of customers. When it s up to b2b market, you need to pay more attention to transportation of products. B2b market is a business chain in which business product manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and other members rely o each other to satisfy their customers. When transportation delay occurs, it might affect all the suppliers, retails and other members thus, you might be at a risk of losing valuable customers, says a spokesperson for ACV Logistics
Logistics and transportation service providers play an important role in the b2b market. B2b companies dealing with international customers must export products in a timely manner to avoid losing potential customers. Therefore, it is important to choose a reliable and reputed logistic service provider to avoid unnecessary regrets later.
Since, freight shipping is a tedious and time consuming process, you need to choose an efficient logistic service provider to take care of your freight shipping needs. When you have a reliable logistic service provider, you can focus more on your core business and build revenue without any fear about your freight shipping process, adds the spokesperson.
ACV Logistics is one of the leading transportation company offering LTL (less-than-truckload) services from Tijuana to Los Cabos. They offer a wide range of integrated freight shipping services including import/export, warehousing, transportation, and distribution. Within a short span of time, ACV Logistics Company has expanded its office from a small office in Tijuana to a branch office in San Diego. In the next year, they also launched their international moving services division.
About ACV Logistics:
ACV Logistics is a full-service transportation company that offers a wide range of freight shipping services including import/export, warehousing, transportation, and distribution.
Starting 1807 Emperor Napoleon of France invaded the Iberian peninsular in a disastrous Peninsular War campaign leaving behind him mayhem and the Napoleonic code so might a role reversal 200 years later be a belated form of poetic justice?
Much to answer for? Napol on Bonaparte by Andrea Appiani (1754 1817) (Credit: Wikipedia)
Earlier still of course beginning 1796 Napoleon had conquered what is today northern Italy and Venice also storing up plenty of bitter blood.
Thus some might be tempted to ask, is there is any wonder that under the cloak of EU single market freedoms, the sun-belt Latins are turning the tables and presently hotfooting it into France even though their motives could not be more dissimilar.
For the Portuguese, Spanish and Italians have been surging across the borders in a desperate bid to ensure their small construction and transport enterprises survive under the onslaught of an economic disaster inflicted by greed-driven global financiers1 and their complicit political midgets, and which shows no signs of any let-up.
Revenge in a continent with centuries of history and even longer memories was possibly always going to be a long time coming. Nevertheless locals are not taking it lying down.
Ironically the French election campaign2 season earlier in the year was crammed with highly charged and calamitous cries about the danger of immigration and talk of invasion undermining culture and jobs. But the target then was religious minorities not the Portuguese, Spanish and Italian firms and sole traders now arousing the ire of small and medium-sized local businesses.
The ongoing Eurozone recession has decimated Iberian economies and made severe inroads into parts of Italy as well more than 50% youth unemployment in Greece and Spain, more than 30% in Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and Slovakia and a European average of 22% according to recent Eurostat figures.3
Construction firms and road haulage firms in France are demanding action as reports multiply of damage to their sector from Latin businesses starved in their own devastated economies and undercutting their French counterparts4 in the south-West and centre of the country.
Labour tensions are rising in France as the full impact of the crisis hits vulnerable industries with PSA, the biggest French car maker announcing 8,000 job losses and the closing of its Aulnay plant north of Paris.
According to a report in Le Journal des Entreprises5 construction companies have noticed the expanding emergence of Spanish companies bidding for work in Aquitaine in the south-West. For a year, more and more construction sites have been taken over by Spaniards, said Bruno Garabos, president of the French Building Federation FFB-F d ration fran aise du b timent in the Gironde. I can understand their situation: turnover of construction companies in Spain and Portugal fell 11% in 2011, and is expected to fall by 12% in 2012. It makes sense that they are looking for markets on the other side of the Pyrenees. The problem is that French company margins are shrinking. This competition, which is not always fair, may further aggravate our difficulties.
If Bruno Garabos is concerned about the allegedly less than scrupulous approach taken by the competition, he admits that labour inspection controls on construction sites are problematical. While of course French law applies across France how do we check if a Spanish labourer is working 35 or 50 hours on a site? The controls are not sufficiently frequent to ensure everyone is properly registered.
Bruno Garabos also denounced the hypocrisy of project owners, including those in the public sector, who he said, ignore the working practices of these competitors because their bids are so attractively priced.
A separate report claimed that the lower prices were only possible because many of the Latin insurgents were less than rigorous about working hours, social security contributions, taxes, invoices, VAT and national minimum wages rules in France. All these accusations have been strenuously rebutted by some of the larger Spanish firms involved and which insist they are competing legitimately cross-border just as any other European enterprise is permitted to do under EU rules.
Pascal Bertrand, regional president of the Federation of property developers, disputed the complaints raised by Bruno Garabos. He told Le Journal des Entreprises : Some developers rely on foreign companies, but it remains the exception. Sometimes the labour pool is Spanish and Portuguese but this is because of a shortage of French labourers.
Where Napoleon stirred it all up Iberian Peninsula (Credit: DBduo Photography)
Meanwhile according to a report in SudQuest6 the FNTP-National Federation of Public Works warns that the position of public works construction companies in France has declined rapidly since the beginning of the year . The public works sector will shed at least 6,000 permanent jobs in 2012, it said. The claims were backed up by Patrick Bernasconi, FNTP chairman: The economic crisis has led companies in Spain, Portugal and Italy to make aggressive bids in tender7s in France offering unreasonably low prices. Project owners sometimes have little regard for the conditions under which the tender work is performed , he said calling for more controls. He also called on the Labour Department to investigate unfair competition .
He said that the blame did not lie with the Spanish companies which have won contracts worth millions of euros through public procurement , but rather with the French authorities who have let the situation become gangrenous .
He said the loss of the contracts mentioned above represented approximately 120,000 hours of work lost to us and this creates serious tensions. We must fight to survive .
He denounced grey areas that he said existed around the hiring of workers on the Spanish Basque coast. We commissioned a report from the Bordeaux social security which revealed many irregularities. But the government prefers to ignore these . His claims were however rebutted by Jean Baptiste Sallaberry, Mayor of Hendaye. who said before entrusting a project to a company, we ensure its operations are fully compliant.
Aware of the growing unease however George Labaz e the Socialist President of the Conseil G n ral says he plans a close review of the regulatory framework governing cross-border work. Is there healthy competition or is it social dumping? To find out, we will lift up the concrete slab that overhangs the construction world, he said.
Meanwhile French road hauliers are also up in arms about the liberalisation of cabotage due in 2014.
Spanish road transport companies already operating on French roads are de facto acting as if the cabotage law had already been relaxed, they claim. Currently Spanish, Portuguese and Italian trucks can carry three loads back from France as part of a trip originating in their home countries.
The Spaniards, whose domestic consumption has collapsed, are trying to offset their problems by increasing the loads thay carry under cabotage before crossing the border says Francois-Xavier Mintegui, president of UR the European Hauliers Organization.
Jerome Bessiere, regional delegate of FNTR the National Federation of Motor Carriers is concerned about what recent changes in Spanish labour laws will do to their share of road haulage. We (the French) will become even less competitive. We are already suffering from differences in payroll, driver time availability and the price of diesel! he said.
Ah yes Emperor Napoleon may yet have much more to answer for.
Story: Ken Pottinger
Popularity: 1% ?]
- ^ greed-driven global financiers (www.french-news-online.com)
- ^ French election campaign (french-news-online.com)
- ^ according to recent Eurostat figures (www.social-europe.eu)
- ^ undercutting their French counterparts (www.french-news-online.com)
- ^ to a report in Le Journal des Entreprises (www.lejournaldesentreprises.com)
- ^ a report in SudQuest (www.sudouest.fr)
- ^ companies in Spain, Portugal and Italy to make aggressive bids in tender (www.sudouest.fr)
- ^ SudQuest quoted (www.sudouest.fr)
- ^ What does this mean? (alexking.org)