Spanish fishing vessel owners have warned Uruguayan port authorities that they are considering leaving the port of Montevideo because of the costly labour disputes with crew members when the vessels dock, taking advantage of a very ‘misbalanced’ legislation.
Alleged labour disputes involving hundreds of thousands of US dollars have left seven Spanish fishing vessels legally stranded in Montevideo, threatening the reputation of Uruguay’s main port to continue as a South Atlantic fisheries hub.
An estimated Uruguayan flagged fifty fishing vessels have been docked in Montevideo for over a month because of a labour conflict over a new work contract with the owners of the vessels and processing plants.