Two Polish shipyards finalising merger

The consolidation, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2013, is designed to improve the economic shape of the two facilities. This will be achieved by allowing the shipyards to use their combined production capacity more effectively and cutting operational cuts, according to senior company representatives.

The new entity, MSR Gryfia, will incorporate the shipyards and their workforce of over 900. The company is to be owned by state-run investment fund MARS, with a 80.3% share, the shipyards’ employees, with a 12.24% stake in the firm, and the Polish Treasury, with a 7.46% share.

The new company will carry out contracts for repair works and shipbuilding, specialising in building craft for the offshore and subsea industry. SSR Gryfia is currently building two icebreakers for Poland’s state-run Regional Water Management Board (RZGW) in Szczecin. The contract is worth about PLN 35 million ($11 million), and construction of the ships is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

However, given that the Szczecin-based shipyard has been struggling to stay afloat over the past years, workers from MSR Świnoujście are worried that Gryfia’s financial woes may impact employment at their facility.

To counter the ongoing merger, the trade unions operating in the Świnoujście-based shipyard organised a series of protests this month. The protesting workers claim that the forthcoming merger is unfavourable to their company and may trigger lay-offs in the near future. A number of local politicians from Świnoujście have also voiced concern about the possible consequences of the merger. However, the consolidation has already been given a go-ahead at government level.