Breaking news! 23 ports paralyzed! Port workers in this South American country went on strike

Source: admin Time: 2022-10-28

Recently, in South AmericaChileAbout 6,500 workers from 23 ports belonging to the port union (Union Portuaria) launched a 48-hour general strike, demanding improved working conditions in an agreement reached with the government.

The workers are protesting a lack of progress in contract talks with the Chilean government. Among other things, they are pushing for the modernisation of port regulations.

According to security firm GardaWorld, the ports of Antofagasta, San Antonio, Iquique and San Vicente are likely to be most affected by the shutdown.

The company also believes that the ports of Arica, Coquimbo and Valparaiso will be the least affected.

According to foreign media reports, there has been "serious traffic disruptions" around the Port of San Antonio. Earlier, demonstrators blocked traffic on Avenida Barros Luco and Calle Sanfuentes with burning debris.

The government will deploy security personnel to monitor the strike and possibly break up disruptive incidents. Clashes between protesters and police are possible.

It is reported that during the strike, transportation, commerce and port operations across Chile will be disrupted.

Relevant practitioners have issued a warning: To avoid strike protests, please act with caution, confirm road conditions in advance when entering and leaving the port, especially road conditions near the port, and follow the instructions of local officials.

In addition, the strike at the British port in the northern hemisphere has not yet ended. It is understood that the second largest port in the UKLiverpoolThere will be a third general strike.

Nearly 600 workers at the Port of Liverpool’s container operations will strike for two weeks from October 24 to November 7 after wage discussions broke down, Peel Ports, the port’s owner, claimed that the Unite union had rejected an 11% pay offer.

The union said: "Since the strike began on September 19, workers have been facing a 'threat to their jobs'. The current inflation rate in the UK is as high as 12.3%, but the operator of the Port of Liverpool has only given us an 8.2% pay rise, which means a reduction in wages."

The union further stated that Peel Ports Group has already agreed to an 11% pay rise for its workers at its Birkenhead shipyard (Camel Laird). Therefore, the union is demanding that Peel Ports Group should also provide similar treatment to Liverpool Port dockworkers.

"Peel Ports Group is a profitable company and is fully capable of paying its workers an appropriate pay rise," the union's general secretary said.

The union said that the workers at the Port of Liverpool are firm in their stance and will give them their full support. "Peel Ports Group must come up with a pay increase that the workers can accept, otherwise the strike will continue."

It is understood that from September 19 to October 3, port workers at the Port of Liverpool launched the first round of strikes when the conditions of the British Unite Union demanding that port operators increase wages based on the current inflation rate (12.3%) were not met.

From October 11th to October 17th, port workers at the Port of Liverpool launched a second round of strikes, also due to salary issues.

Liverpool Port is an important port for imports into Europe. Such frequent strikes are bound to have a great impact on the loading, unloading and transshipment of containers at the port, and will bring great instability to the timeliness of the British sea express line and even the European sea express line.

In addition, the United Kingdom's Unite trade union recently said that it does not rule out the possibility of a third round of strikes at the Port of Felixstowe. If the labor dispute is not properly resolved, the strike will continue for some time to come, and port congestion in the UK and even Europe, and supply chain tensions will be further exacerbated.

Finally, we would like to remind you that if you have freight forwarders or shippers shipping to the above-mentioned countries in the near future, please arrange your shipping plans reasonably and pay attention to the impact of delays.

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