Container shipments are paralyzed in the port of Buenos Aires because of a union conflict that is causing huge losses, according to Argentine press reports.
The labour dispute pits the SUPA union, which represents the longshoremen, against the crane operators union, which has been paralyzing the cargo terminals of the Argentine capital since last Friday.
The Labour Ministry ordered mandatory mediation, but the longshoremen did not comply with that directive and decided to stage a full strike which caused operating difficulties for at least 17 vessels that were supposed to offload their cargo in Montevideo.
Some of the cargo ships opted to cut short their stopovers in Buenos Aires, while three others cancelled their stops in the Argentine capital, thus preventing the offloading of 2,700 containers carrying $82 million in assorted merchandise.
SUPA, which is demanding a pay hike and union benefits already possessed by the crane operators union, also announced that it will stage a national strike at cargo terminals this week.
Cargonews Asia
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