Ajaccio (AFP)

Blocked boats, canceled crossings including to Algeria or Tunisia: the next renewal of the 80 million euros of subsidies per year to the maritime service of Corsica create tensions between the two private shipping companies which benefited from them and shared so far.

For thirteen days, thousands of passengers who had to travel between Marseille, Corsican ports, Algiers or Tunis have been living at the rate of cancellations, postponements or modifications to crossings.

Several boats, notably from the company Corsica Linea, are blocked by striking staff from another maritime carrier, La Méridionale. Blockages that add to the strike movement against pensions in ports.

Fresh produce, flowers, fruits and vegetables, usually transported by sea, are also becoming scarce on the Isle of Beauty.

In order to ensure the public service of territorial continuity, and therefore equality between citizens of the same State, islanders or not, public service delegations (DSP) authorize to subsidize these shipping companies on the basis of a specification charges providing for regulated tariffs, service throughout the year, including during off-peak tourist periods, the number of rotations and timetables.

Three private shipping companies serve Corsica from the mainland: two under the French flag, the Corsica Linea (red boats) and La Méridionale (blue boats) and a third under the Italian international flag - less socially protective -, the Corsica Ferries (boats yellow).

Leader since 2002 on passenger transport between the continent and Corsica, the latter has never been chosen for CSPs and operates without public subsidy.

Corsica Linea, born from the takeover of the former SNCM and owned since 2016 by a consortium of Corsican companies also owner of the daily Corse-Matin, as well as La Méridionale together operated a DSP until 2019.

But last spring, relations became turbulent. Corsica Linea then presented a solo offer to operate a DSP over a transitional period, obtaining 3 of the 5 lines. La Méridionale has multiplied legal proceedings but has been dismissed.

- 500 jobs at stake -

For the two remaining lines, a new allocation procedure is in progress, after two failures. If La Méridionale was not chosen, it would be absent from service to Corsica for the first time in 43 years. Its employees warned of a risk of "social breakdown".

But the crucial issue for the two companies is the new seven-year DSP which will be awarded in July to ensure connections between Marseille and the five Corsican ports (Ajaccio, Bastia, Ile Rousse, Porto-Vecchio, Propriano) from 2021 .

Fearing that the South would lose this public market, some of its employees have been blocking since January 10, at the call of the Corsican workers' union (STC) and the CFTC, ships of the two companies in Marseille, claiming that they find a agree to share the five lines.

Hurry up. Applications must be submitted no later than February 14 to the Collectivity of Corsica (CdC).

"If this agreement is not found, the disappearance of La Méridionale with its 500 employees is looming," said AFP Cyril Venouil of STC Méridionale.

For the director general of Corsica Linea Pierre-Antoine Villanova, La Méridionale's multiple lawsuits and the blockages of its boats mean that "the conditions are not frankly met to find a cooperation agreement over the next seven years".

If Corsica Linea does not hide its ambitions for growth, the Méridionale, owned by the logistics group Stef specializing in food road transport, remains more vague on its maritime strategy to Corsica. With, as a bonus, the Corsica Ferries all ready to taste public subsidies.

© 2020 AFP