Crof wants service level element in new contracts with Spoornet

ALAN PEAT THE VARIOUS contracts and agreements between the container rail operators and Spoornet are nearing completion after a year of negotiation. According to Peter Lewin, director of MSC Logistics and chairman of the Container Rail Operators’ Forum (Crof), the final draft of the individual contract between these rail users and the railway authorities has been received after the forum disputed certain clauses in the original. “These rail contracts should all be signed by the members anytime soon,” he said. However, the forum has hopes for a valuable addendum to these contracts when they are due for their annual renewal in April. “Crof expects a service level element to become part of the rail contract as well,” Lewin added, “and that has been part of the negotiations with Spoornet over the last couple of months.” Meantime, the overall sectoral agreement between the members of the industry and Spoornet is also in its final stages. Said Lewin: “It was circulated for the signature of all the members, and this has now been completed. “Then we just need Spoornet to give it a final OK before we can announce its official launch.” However, although Crof has other issues of discussion on the table, the on-going bi-lateral relationship with the railways has ground to a temporary halt. There has been another change in Spoornet management, Lewin told FTW, and communication between the two parties has faltered. “We’ll need to re-establish the relationship before we can get any further,” he added.