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Mauritius: “Through the collective agreement signed between the Cargo Handling Corporation Limited and the Port-Louis Maritime Employees Association (PLMEA) today, a new scheme that will enhance the productivity of the Corporation will be implemented soon.”
The Chairman of the CHCL announced this, Medavy Pillay Munien, during a press conference held yesterday at its headquarters in Mer Rouge, Port Louis. Hence, a productivity bonus based on the average number of ship/shore moves per crane per hour will be put in place with the grant of a minimum bonus of 25% for an average of 22 and 24 moves and a maximum of 35% for an average of more than 28 moves.
The Senior Management of CHCL was present at the press conference, too, namely the Officer-in-Charge, Sanjaye Paddia; the Human Resource Manager, Hemraj Dahari; and the Terminal Operations Manager, Hemlall Chowbay Multra.
As the CHCL will celebrate its forty years of existence this year, the way forward for the Corporation was also the focus of the press conference.
According to its Terminal Operations Manager, the CHCL aims to transform Port Louis from a way port to a regional transhipment hub and challenge the ongoing port development in the region, namely in the Republic of Madagascar, Réunion Island, the Republic of Seychelles and East Africa.
To achieve this endeavour, the CHCL will increase its productivity to attract more traffic and new liners; invest in additional equipment; move towards increased automation; and train its employees. The Management welcomed the collective agreement as a tool that will contribute to the vision of transformation.
It is recalled that the negotiations for the collective agreement started in 2021 to renew a new salary report but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the collective agreement are to review the terms and conditions of employment and enhance productivity by reviewing the productivity bonus scheme and work practices while ensuring that the CHCL remain financially sustainable.
The collective agreement thus paves the way for an average salary rise of 13.1%, the integration of more than 200 General Purpose Workers in their respective posts, the introduction of a new operational concept, and the revision of working conditions like overtime.
The CHCL was established in October 1983. Its main functions are to provide, among others, handling services for containers, general cargo, dry bulk and vehicles; storage for all general cargo, including containers passing through Port Louis Harbour; and other ancillary services, such as the monitoring of reefer containers and transfer of containers.
In July 2023, its manpower stood at 1,237 employees. For the financial year 2022 – 2023, the CHCL registered a total income of over Rs 2 b, with profits reaching Rs 255 m. It registered a total transhipment of 343,379 TEUS for the same period with a captive of 247,144 TEUS.