Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/685221
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 MAY 2016 9 THE Palumbo shipyard in Malta, celebrating six years of operations here, has made a success of the concern but looks with envious eyes at shipyards in the Mediterra- nean which get US Navy work that Palumbo cannot tender for. "We could be doing so much more, but unfortunately we are not able to bid on many profitable ten- ders. Just last week alone, we were invited to tender for a multi-mil- lion dollar maintenance and refit- ting project on a US Navy vessel," family patriarch Antonio Palumbo said. The snag is that Maltese ship- yards are not cleared to carry out work on US Navy ships since Malta and the US have not yet signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SO- FA). Under this agreement, the US insists that all US servicemen be immune from prosecution in the countries adhering to the SOFA terms. Both the Labour government and the Nationalist Party strongly object to such a blanket immunity and reaching such an agreement with the US in the near future seems improbable at best. The Palumbo Shipyard today celebrates six years of operations in Malta, and its owner and CEO insists the success of the Malta shipyard is all due to the hard work of the 150 workers and to the high standards that the company and workers themselves hold sacred. 66-year-old Palumbo, whose family owns another four shipyards besides the one in Malta, said the Open Day being held in the Cot- tonera shipyard today was a sign of recognition for all the workers, their suppliers and subcontractors. He said he hoped that the public that visited would come to appre- ciate what the shipyard has accom- plished in the past six years, besides enjoying the various children's ac- tivities being organised, the on-site museum and the evening concert featuring guest appearances by Jo- seph Calleja and Ira Losco. Palumbo – who in 2010 was giv- en a 30-year concession to run the shipyard – told MaltaToday that, even six years on, the Malta op- eration remains the fulcrum that drives his company, which he runs with his sons. Despite some obstacles – and some have been more damaging than a poke in the side – Palumbo Malta continues being recognised internationally for its commitment to occupational safety, the quality of the workmanship and the level of facilities available. In six years, Palumbo Malta has serviced and carried out mainte- nance work on over 1,100 ships and more than 200 superyachts. Oil-rig maintenance, a recent de- velopment for the local shipyard, is already proving successful and more than 15 rigs have already en- tered the Palumbo docks for main- tenance in the past four months alone. On the loss of work for the US Navy, Palumbo said: "Yes, we have lost over €30 million in six years because we could not bid on US Navy tenders. This hurts the company financially, but more im- portantly, it hurts our employees and sub-contractors as well as the country's economy." He insists he cannot and will not do anything to try and overturn the status quo. "This is a political and diplomatic issue. It is not for us to ask for anything." But in the mean- time, Palumbo cannot but look with envy as Croatian shipyards continue to reap the benefits from US Navy tenders, while his Malta facilities – which he says are bet- ter – remain unable to bid for this work. Asked if he ever foresaw the Mal- ta yards being directly involved in the construction of superyachts, Palumbo was quick to point out that they lacked the number and quality of skilled craftsmen that such an enterprise requires. He insists it's not a question of skill or training, but one of a chang- ing mentality among the younger generation, where most chose not to pursue a profession where so much physical work and a hands- on approach were required. "But I still look forward to the day that the first locally-constructed superyacht slips from the Malta shipyard," he said. "That would be a great day for all our workers; that would really be a great reward for all their hard work and their dedi- cation through the years." While Palumbo – who has had his fair share of run-ins with the law – seems to enjoy a very good relationship with his workers, the same cannot be said for the com- pany's relationship with the resi- dents in the area. Some Cottonera residents opened legal proceed- ings against Palumbo, complaining about the noise levels and sand- blasting contaminants allegedly originating at the Palumbo ship- yards. But the company did not take such actions lightly, and was some- what vindicated when the case was adjudicated in its favour after it could not be proven that the noise was coming from the yard. Subsequently, Palumbo sent a letter to the residents who filed the criminal complaint, threaten- ing to have their assets seized un- less they paid the company's court expenses. Palumbo's actions earned the rebuke of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who said the residents' treatment by the shipyard was "unacceptable" and accused the company of using its workers as a "shield." But Palumbo insists that the relationship with the Cottonera residents is much more than a su- perficial court case. The company, he said, is very active in support- ing children's charities in the area and continues to assist numerous clubs, convents, schools and other organisations in the Cottonera. He adds that the controversial practice of sand-blasting, is now a thing of the past, as new, wa- ter pressure-driven equipment is rolled in. "This open day will hopefully bring the company and the resi- dents closer. Not for my sake, or my family's sake, but because those 150 workers of ours deserve this and so much more recognition from all of us. We are doing this for them." News CALL FOR TENDERS FOR THE PROVISION OF RESEARCH SERVICES PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT FOR THE EU PRESIDENCY 2017 AND EU FUNDS of the Council of the 2017 Maltese Presidency European Union 2017 MALTESE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EU The tender documents are available to download online from www.etenders.gov.mt The Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds, within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, notifies that a call for tenders for the provision of research services in relation to Malta's Presidency of the Council of the EU 2017 has been issued. Palumbo rues lost US Navy contracts Antonio Palumbo says his shipyard's success is down to the hard work of the workers and the company's high standards. But the family patriarch tells PAUL COCKS why his company is missing out on big contracts Antonio Palumbo said sand-blasting will no longer take place in his shipyard as water pressure-driven technology is introduced