The CEO of the Port of Quebec wants a quick resolution to the labor dispute between the longshoremen and the Société des Arrimeurs de Québec, which decreed a lockout on September 15.
“We want this to be resolved. We have families. We have no role to play in that. There is an employer on one side and the union on the other side. Often people confuse the port’s role in this a bit. It’s not us. These are two external parts. There is nothing we can do. We have no way of intervening in that, but we want this conflict to be resolved as quickly as possible, ”said Mario Girard during the retrospective for the year 2022.
The employer has deployed contingency plans to minimize the impact of this situation, he recalled. Activities related to grain vessels and operations deemed essential services are maintained according to the provisions of the Canada Labor Code.
It’s time to take stock
Overall, Mr. Girard paints a positive picture of the year 2022. The volume of goods handled at the Port of Quebec should reach 27.6 million tonnes, making it the 3rd best year in the last ten years.
“It’s around 2% less than in 2021, but all in all, it’s still a very good year. (…) The decrease is mainly due to a drop in the export of iron pellets and poor harvests in 2021 among grain producers in Western Canada. We had almost a million tonnes less grain to transship through our facilities. We know that the harvests in 2022 were very exceptional. So it will bounce back with us in 2023, ”said Mr. Girard.
Liquid bulk on the rise
Liquid bulk was on the increase with an increase in consumption by individuals and businesses. Énergie Valero uses the facilities of the Port of Québec.
“In particular, more fuel was sold with the resumption of air transport. “Jet fuel” is one of the goods that we transship here at the Port of Quebec,” added Mr. Girard.
Cement also had a record year.
On the cruise side, the year 2022 marks the resumption of activities after a two-year stoppage due to the pandemic. In total, more than 92,000 cruise passengers were received at the Port of Québec. It is still half less compared to 2019.
“We are going up the slope at the level of cruises”, he underlined.
The Port of Quebec’s Vision 2035 will be unveiled soon, he assured.
After 13 months of work, the process is now complete, he said. About a hundred stakeholders were involved in this consultation. The plan will be unveiled in the coming weeks.