Ports in Argentina resume grain loading as dock-workers return to work

Wednesday, March 14th 2012 - 01:57 UTC

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Argentina usually loads 200.000 tons of farm products per day

Argentine dock-workers on Tuesday suspended a 12-day-old strike that had delayed more than 500 million dollars in grains shipments while forcing cargo vessels to drop anchor along the country's waterways.

Argentina, which usually loads 200.000 tons of farm products per day, had been shaken by the work stoppage called at the start of the month by the SOMU labour union to demand shorter and better-staffed shifts.

The suspension of the strike will allow the workers and port managers to negotiate a deal ahead of a March 26 meeting between the two sides at the Labour Ministry in Buenos Aires.

“We have lifted the strike until next week,” said union official Ruben Arredondo, who works in Argentina's main grains hub, Rosario, where ships were once again allowed to be loaded at the huge grains terminals that dot the Paraná River.

Argentina is a major world supplier of soy and corn, and the farm sector is a top source of government revenue. So the strike had been watched by grains traders, economists and sovereign bondholders alike.

Arredondo said the union suspended the strike as an act of good faith, but export industry sources said the government had ordered SOMU to suspend the strike.

The union demands an eight-hour workday and that a fourth crew member be assigned to each motor boat that goes out to guide grains vessels to their docks. Currently the crews work 12-hour shifts with three members on board each of the motor boats.

Diego Lomban, lawyer and negotiator for Calaprac, the chamber that represents docking service companies, says current work conditions fall within Argentine labour laws. He said the motor boats are too small to safely board a fourth crew member.

“They want more crew members and they want to work office hours, which is not realistic,” Lomban said earlier on Tuesday.

“Maritime work is dynamic,” he added. “When the cargo ship arrives at port, you have to work it. You cannot keep the ship waiting while you change shifts.”

Farmers and exporters hope port operations will be smooth by the time soy and corn harvesting starts in earnest later this month. Crop prospects had already been dented by a drought that parched fields in December and early January.

Argentina now expects a 2011/12 soy crop of up to 45 million tons and a corn harvest of up to 22 million tons, both lighter than the previous season's take.

Soybeans, plus the vegetable oil and livestock feed made from them, account for about half of Argentina's export tax collection. Such taxes make up about 10% of total government revenues.

Cargill, Bunge, Molinos Rio de la Plata, Noble and Louis Dreyfus are among the grains exporters that operate in Argentina

Categories: Economy, Argentina.

Tags: Argentina, dock workers, grain hub, Rosario port, Ruben Arredondo.

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ChrisR
As of 17.15 hours, 2012/03/14 there was only one ship (El Uno, reg AR, speed 6.2 knots) heading up towards Rosario on the entrance to the Parana River.

Looks like the fun has only just started.
Mar 14th, 2012 - 08:16 pm 0
rebeldenacion
Mad psychotic bitch is the best term for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner the current disaster president of Argentina!
Others around Cristina Kirchner that are also crooks are her vice-president, Amado Boudou, he is actually an owner of the company that prints money for the government in Argentina, a major conflict of interest, but he denies it, he owns the company in the names of other friends and associates. He is being investigated and surely will end up in jail where he belongs. Cristinas 2 VERY UGLY children, Maximo and Florencia Kirchner, are also very corrupt. Maximo owns all kinds of hotels and properties adn Florencia is a film student in New York and lives in a luxury Park Avenue apartment and is known for major cocaine use. Some of us who know her in New York remember how she always used to tell us how her parents have a bank account drawn on the Nation of Argentina and for her family money is no object. These 2 corrupt children of Cristina Kirchner are self proclaimed “militants”, they belong to 2 internal terrorist groups which Cristina Kirchner finances, “La Cámpora” and “Quebracho”. “La Cámpora” goes around to the poor shantytowns around the cities in Argentina and gives the poor people a bag of groceries, a sausage sandwich called “choripan” and $20 pesos to buy their votes. These people have no choice but to accept this as they are extremely poor and have no other hope. “Quebracho” is a terrorist group which Cristina Kirchner pays to protect her, they disguise their faces and go around shaking down businesses to get money and give back to the president. They are also responsible for drug dealing, robberies and murders.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTBAjfgHLyk&feature=relmfu
www.youtube.com/watch?v=azwWSN2pukk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSvQw00SV-c
www.ripoffreport.com/government-worker/argentina-tourists-m/argentina-tourists-murdered-l-33f51.htm
www.ripoffreport.com/federal-government/cristina-kirchner/cristina-kirchner-cristina-kir-dc9b0.htm
Mar 15th, 2012 - 12:54 am 0

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