an assembly of the Montecon union with the participation of leaders of the Single Port Union and Related Branches (Supra) decided this Friday to paralyze container loading and unloading activities. The measure is for an indefinite period.
The stoppage began this Friday afternoon when the union defined a concentration, mobilization and assembly within the port of Montevideo. From that moment on, truck access to the port was not allowed, according to what was reported to The Observer the president of the Montecon union, Martín García.
In addition, it was decided to convene a new informative assembly for tomorrow, as a serious and urgent matter, to exchange on the port operations of the port of Montevideo, with a cut-off of activities starting at 9:00 a.m.
For its part, the Supra summoned its Executive Secretariat for next Tuesday, May 23, and the National Executive for Thursday, May 25.
The signing of the extension of the concession between the government and Katoen Natie for Terminal Cuenca del Plata (TCP), specialized in operating containers, caused a drop in the activity of Montecon, which also loads and unloads containers, but in the public areas of the port of Montevideo. Over there 150 workers were sent to unemployment insurance. TCP promised to hire 110 of them who went on to form a job bank. So far, 77 workers have been reinserted and the rest will enter during the next year.
The leader of Supra Alvaro Reinaldo said to The Observer that there are still more than 40 in the job market, of which 15 have the possibility of entering the National Ports Administration (ANP). Therefore, about 30 workers would remain without being reinserted.
Another option was also managed by Supra and the Montecon union and was linked to the UPM terminal within the port of Montevideo.. The pulp mill is already bringing inputs for its pulp production. “We knew they were hiring people and it was a good opportunity to bring personnel with port experience. There are people from Montecon who are trained and on unemployment insurance,” she said.
However, the leader reported that finally the consortium that operates the UPM terminal took staff outside the Montecon job bank.
