MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Striking fishermen in Patagonia agree truce until Wednesday

“We must restore social peace” said Gov. Peralta

Striking fishermen in Patagonia who caused considerable damage to several processing plants which they torched last Friday accepted mediation in the conflict from the provincial government of Santa Cruz.

Governor Daniel Peralta made the announcement while protestors in Puerto Deseado said they will adopt no further measures until next Wednesday. A crowd of 400 crew members marched downtown in support of the leaders of the local union chapter. Provincial authorities have also stationed 200 Special Forces 60 miles from Puerto Deseado in support of efforts to restore peace to the town and support the coming negotiations. "We must restore social peace and rebuild the productive infrastructure of Puerto Deseado. The fishing industry is the main activity of the town and the whole conflict has had an impressive impact on the community", said Governor Peralta. "The governor guaranteed us a mediation, and asked us to wait until Wednesday to begin talks ", said Daniel Medina delegate of the local union. Strikers whom on Friday torched several fish processing plants are demanding the repeal of the high earnings income tax and question the labor contract agreed and signed in Buenos Aires by the federated union, SOMU, (aligned with Kirchner) and the fishing vessels owners, Capeca. However the forecast is not good: "we're not sitting to talk with a vandal who calls himself a union man", said Capeca president Alfredo Pott, whose two plants Santa Elena and Capeca were rampaged. For the fishing industry bosses the only valid agreement is the one signed in Buenos Aires lasting until 2009 but Medina and his followers reject it point blank and even kicked out a delegate sent to replace him as head of the local chapter. On Friday strikers who had an appointment scheduled with Puerto Deseado Mayor Arturo Rodriguez turned violent and furious when they were informed he was off to an official ceremony with President Nestor Kirchner who was visiting Santa Cruz. Since several of the companies attacked are joint ventures with Spanish companies, including Pescanova, Arbumasa, Empesur, Pescargen, Santa Cruz and Vieira, the Spanish embassy called on Argentine federal and provincial authorities to ensure an end to violence and guarantee "lives and property" of people. "It' very shocking to see how a factory that demanded 30 years to build was destroyed. Export taxes, increased costs have reduced competitiveness", said Pott adding that "we have a serious survival challenge". A committee made up of the local Police chief, gendarmes and striking fishermen toured the plants to assess the extent of the damage. But Medina said that most damage was inflicted to offices; "production plants are OK".