Chile: Port Strikes Followed By Trucker Action
While dock workers returned to work at San Antonio last week after a four-day strike, the dispute remains unresolved and further action may be on the horizon.
Chile’s ports have now experienced two walks outs during the past few weeks, including San Antonio Port, home to the nation’s largest container terminal. The last action caused seven ships to be diverted, and both a car carrier and a container ship had to set sail without finishing unloading.
The labour actions have been paralysing Chile’s port terminals and impacting departure and arrival times, as 6,500 workers followed up the two-day strike in October with this latest action. The dockers are calling for labour improvements, a modernisation of port regulations and grace pensions.
In addition to ports, a week-long strike by Chilean truckers has been partially lifted after some of the unions involved reached an agreement with the government. The dispute, over high fuel prices, has been seriously jeopardising the country’s fruit exports, just as the new season gets underway.
With cold stores filling up and fruit unable to get to ports, Chilean growers and exporters are desperate for the remaining unions to follow suit and end the walkout completely.
For further information on the above, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Envío team.
