Mr. Ferry leaves Confitarma

Rome - Vincenzo Onorato not only slammed the door on Confitarma, the association of Italian ship owners, but he also hurled harsh accusations at the sector, causing an earthquake in the shipping world. The ferry king, owner of Moby, Toremar, Rimorchiatori Sardi and Tirrenia Cin, writes an open letter with a very clear objective which is evident from the very first lines: “In less than five years, the policy of the owners’ association will drive the Italian fleet to its demise.” Onorato goes on to say that “the extension of the tax breaks for ships either under the Italian flag or European Community flags, without limitation in the hiring of non-EU sailors, will lead to the loss of about 15,000 jobs, in an environment like that in the south of Italy, already seriously affected economically and socially.” So the shipowner decided to withdraw his companies from the association – except for Tirrenia which is enrolled in the Fedarlinea association - and asks Confitarma to object to the European regulations because otherwise “the only Italians left to benefit from the tax relief measures launched by the Italian state will be the shipowners who sail under foreign flags with non-EU sailors, in other words, we’re adding insult to injury.” Confitarma replied later in the evening, “Apart from the lack of precision in the framework,” writes the association in a statement, “the cuts are not the result of Confitarma’s policies, but an adaptation of the Italian legislation to the Community’s regulatory framework, expressly imposed by the European Commission.”

Confitarma noted that the failure to comply could result in a loss of all current benefits provided by the tonnage tax, “to avoid serious consequences at the European level that could lead to the suppression of the International Registry and other measures.” Onorato who owns a fleet of 70 ships sailing under the Italian flag manned by 4,000 Italian employees, is worried, however, that the ceiling of tax relief will be pulverized. “Today, Confitarma does not defend Italian interests, but only the interests of a few shipping groups sailing under a thousand flags and with non-EU sailors, who are paid a few dollars a month.” Onorato came down hard on the association, but Confitarma rejects all of the accusations: “Onorato’s statements are not convincing; while he was participating in the governing bodies of the association, he never presented considerations on this issue.”

The counterattack is served: Grimaldi, the line that bears the name of Emanuele, the current Confitarma’s president, recently opened two services to Sardinia, the market traditionally covered by Onorato with Moby and Tirrenia. Onorato writes in the letter: “Already large Italian groups use underpaid non-EU sailors on coastal routes.” “Not true.” says Confitarma, “the ship owners, while engaged in international traffic routes, freely hire Italian sailors to a greater extent than agreed with the unions.” And on which side are the unions? “We are interested in the future of sailors,” explains Paolo Fantappiè, National Secretary of Uiltrasporti, “and we are concerned about the European provisions. On 16 December, we will meet with Confitarma to make our point: there is a big risk of creating an unsustainable dumping situation. We need a regulation that includes a social clause, this way we will save Italian sailors.”