Uruguay: Dockworkers in indefinite strike due to the possibility of unemployment

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The labor union representing workers at Montecon has been on indefinite strike since Wednesday, December 1, 2021 – in the Port of Montevideo – in rejection of the measures that the company is taking because of the reduction in the activity because of the new docking priority at the Terminal Cuenca del Plata (TCP).

Under this line, Juan Olascoaga, manager of the company Montecon, pointed out that “measures have been taken due to the decrease in activity in Montecon due to the application of the new docking protocol.”

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According to El País de Uruguay, these measures include the possible placement of a group of workers on unemployment insurance and the reduction of the insured workers’ wages as of December.

The executive said that they respect labor union measures and have a good relationship with the union, adding that on Thursday, December 2, they held a tripartite meeting at the Ministry of Labor. Still, no progress was made, and no solution was forthcoming.

For his part, the secretary-general of the Sindicato Único Portuario y Ramas Afines (Supra), Álvaro Reinaldo, stated that “time has proved us right. We always said that 700 jobs were at risk as a result of the agreement between the government and Katoen Natie.”

Along these lines, Montecon filed on Wednesday, December 1, an appeal for the nullity of the government decree that governs the agreement between the State and the Cuenca del Plata Terminal (80% owned by the Belgian company Katoen Natie and 20% by the National Ports Administration). This action was brought before the Court of Administrative Litigation (TCA).

According to the company, the concession to Katoen Natie does not respect the Free Competition clause in the Ports Law and contravenes Law 17.243 of the year 2000, which governed the basis of the auction for the specialized terminal.

As a result of the strike, two container vessels abandoned the Port of Montevideo because they could not operate in the port.