MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Striking fishermen clash with riot police in Mar del Plata

Argentine striking fishermen clashed on Thursday with the police following a rampage against fish processing plants in Mar del Plata. Protestors were trying to convince fellow workers of Argentina's main fishing industry city to join the stoppage.

Incidents begun when strikers assembled outside the main offices of Coaport, a federation of fishing cooperatives, tried to break in violently. Riot police moved in with batons, tear gas and finally rubber bullets as the occupants of the building resisted with stones and pieces of furniture. A primary police report indicated that several people were slightly injured and one striker arrested for attacking a policeman. Nobel Peace prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel who happened to be in Mar del Plata for a Book Show mediated in the incident helping to establish a precarious dialogue, according to local press. Striking fishermen are demanding higher salaries and a full incorporation of part time workers by companies. The ongoing conflict has been particularly violent and last September 27 one of the strikers was shot. On this background and following the announcement of demonstrations schools in the fishing industry district of the city were closed for the day. The demonstrations coincide with the industry-trade unions' talks being held in Buenos Aires under the auspices of Argentina's Labor Ministry which decreed a truce period for the two months conflict. Fisheries Secretary Gerardo Nieto has warned fishing companies that if they don't normalize contract conditions for their workers in processing plants they could be exposed to a non renewal of fishing licences. In related news a visiting delegation from the Xunta of Galicia, Spain confirmed that several of the Spanish companies' plants in Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz province, which were torched by striking fishermen and suffered damages estimated in 100 million Euros, remain mostly inactive. The Xunta's chairman Migule Lopez Sieiro currently visiting Buenos Aires said that although the Argentine government promised compensations "in the medium term", the Galician companies Vieira, Argenova, PEscargen and Santa Cruz have had difficulties in resuming production fearing further incidents. Furthermore it was revealed that the few fishing vessels of those companies that continue to operate are doing most of their catch landings in other ports.