But in the longer term it is the great fog

Full parking, lift trucks and trucks manoeuvring in all directions; Welders work in workshops or hung along the hull of the Norwegian Epic, one of the three ships under construction; swarms of subcontractors on the docks and excitement to all floors... The STX France, in Saint-Nazaire shipyard, gives a sense to turn to good plan. And yet... in weaving through the 100 hectares spread along the right bank of the estuary of the Loire, a point of concern appears. The immense Atlantic ex-Chantiers machine shops are closed. A heavy silence reigned there for weeks. Cancelled sine die by the NCL, December 18, the second command of a ship of 329 metres long, identical to the "Norwegian Epic", has swept, a wire, two years of work. A hard blow. Because, in the current situation, what other cruise line will dare to expand its fleet The best client sites, MSC, himself rejected last summer the command of two new ships. A gloom that was able to verify in mid-March in Miami, at the annual Conference of the owners. On both sides of the Atlantic, cruise customer who appreciates these modern vessels, remains true faithful: in the wake of the "MSC Fantasia", out of the building nazairiens in December, 6 ships of 4,000 passengers should still be delivered by 2012 by the big names in the sector, STX France, STX Finland, German Meyer Werft and the Italian Fincantieri. At these giants of the seas will be added over the period 15 other smaller units. But in the longer term, it is the great fog...

After the announcement of the cancellation of NCL, the Directorate played cards on the table with the representatives of the 2,600 employees, to spread available work. Thirty workers specialized in the cutting of sheet metal has been redeployed to other functions and technicians were assigned to STX France Cabins, a subsidiary which assembles 6,000 cabs per year. The Office is also affected. A portion of its staff were transferred to STX France Solutions, a subsidiary providing studies work to the whole of STX Europe sites and its subcontractors. To date, already 450 people were assigned to new tasks or integrated in peripheral societies. Signs of time, the last big shipyard French recently "loaned" its recruitment Manager at the DCNS. "After having much recruited last year, we no longer needs", explains Eric Breux, HRD for one year.

Training plan

Arrived in the company to a most successful period, this former of GST had to manage a very tense year start, the prospect of partial unemployment mobilizing Trade Union energy. February 9, he has managed to convince employees that had imposed the blockade of the building to free access, before you sit at the negotiating table. The measures proposed to mitigate the financial impact of the partial unemployment were satisfied. In the end, wages have been maintained at 100, STX supplementing the 40 non-paid by the unemployment insurance. Employees will reimburse the advances in hours of work or RTT, when the site will find its full. In the meantime, 100,000 hours of unemployment expected for the year will start as early as this month here and until June, cycles of formation of "lean manufacturing". Goal: learn to 700 employees in the most effective actions and promote a better organisation of work. "He must take advantage of the situation to improve our performance and be able to be even more competitive," said Jacques Hardelay, President of STX France, aware that, once the recovery is coming, shipowners negotiate even more bitterly commands. "The building would not be in position to impose their prices, on the contrary", said a relative of the Chambre syndicale of shipbuilding. This training plan is not for the sole benefit of the employees. A ship, it is 75 of subcontracting, and the value of a site that is all as its staff 500 companies and their employees 5,000 to install electrical networks, air conditioned, to marble, of decorating venues, bars, to build the swimming pools, rooms, squash and other luxury amenities that make the success of the cruise. "It is essential to maintain a relationship long term with ships coréalisatrices companies and integrated," said Laurent Gobinet, Director of purchasing.

To preserve these links and improve the overall performance of the sector, STX France has set up the Cape Excellence plan. A series of initiatives involving subcontractors, institutional bodies and the Chamber of commerce and industry of Nantes - Saint-Nazaire. "In view of the situation, it accelerates the accompanying diversification." "We are helping subcontractors to respond to other types of tendering", explains Philippe Jean, Director of development of enterprises with the ICC.

For the local industrial fabric, assistance through Cape Excellence is still more crucial six years ago. Left alone, SMEs in the region have good effect of evil to diversify their client portfolios in the current context. "We are experts in the development of the common spaces on the boats." Transposable activity in buildings. "But the projects do not run the streets," notes Philippe Favrot, Normand workshops work for thirty years with the building, providing him 50 of its turnover. For the actors of this type, the question of conversion arises because, in the future, the site should redirect to planning more sober, even Spartan ships.

Search niche of the future

Because the blessed era of the "France" or the "Normandy" is well and truly gone in Saint-Nazaire. Today, management and unions clings to hope: to be given the construction of a third building projection and command (PCBs). A command that should be confirmed in coming weeks by the Ministry of defence. In essence, "Mistral" and "Thunder", his two predecessors, had assembled at Brest, under the responsibility of the DCNS. This time, STX France should inherit from the largest share of the pie. With 33 of the capital of the ex-Chantiers of the Atlantic since last autumn, the French State is obviously its weight in this case. If it is embodied, this investment, the order of EUR 400 million, would provide only 20 of the workload of the site. "A military vessel, it is three or four times less hours than a cruise ship," relativizes Marc household, of the CFDT. But, in these times of shortage, everything is good, "the most varied projects and smaller units", recognizes Arnaud Le Joncour, commercial Director, which evokes even "the construction of tanks", until better days.

Not what welcome the subcontractors. for the time being, STX France seeks new niches for the future, as the oil support vessels. By imitating their new parent Korean, very present in this area, the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire renoueraient in a certain way with their history. In 1976, is of the form Joubert basin of refit in the port of Saint-Nazaire that had been released "Batillus", most large tanker at the time, with a capacity of 550,000 tonnes. Thirty-three years later, even if the presence Korean to a copper plate engraved the name of Kwang-Gi Lo on one of the doors of the corridor of the Directorate, synergies could emerge with STX Business Group, one of the leading in the construction of the platforms. A year ago, the oil from around the world pulled this type of equipment. Black gold prices have collapsed, and the oil companies have reviewed their investments down. But the lull will last a time. "When the recovery manifests, it will be violent", wants to believe Jacques Hardelay. In the meantime, STX France pattern intends to train its crews on offshore products and "strengthen technical skills to meet the demand."