The Chamber of Fishing Industries of Uruguay (CIPU) denounced shots and threats in the port of Montevideo. Furthermore, he warns that the National Port Administration (ANP) this breaching international treaties referred to the protection of ships and port facilities and ordered it to Prohibit the circulation of members of trade union organizations not linked to the activity.
The summons document – dated March 25 -, to which he had access The Observer, was presented by 15 companies grouped within the CIPU who understand that the ANP is not complying with the International Code for the Security of Ships and Port Facilities (ISPS). It is included in Chapter XI – 2 of the International Convention for the Safety of Human Life at Searatified in Uruguay by the Law No. 14,879 dated April 23, 1979, which was amended by the Law No. 17,504 from June 18, 2022.
In this sense, from the CIPU they warn about “the risks, possible damages that this situation may cause” Due to the “irregularity in terms of lack of controls and security”.
In particular, the companies denounce that the current procedure for granting access and circulation cards in the port area for trade union organizations or others with legal status – within the framework of the Board Resolution 722/3512 of 2009 – which they describe as “illegal and illegitimate”, grants permissions that “they are not related to port operations or to a term of validity, which is key for the safety of ships and port facilities”.
In turn, they claim that the Single Union of Sea and Allied Workers (Suntma) has a headquarters within the premises without being a port operator nor that it is foreseen that it may have one.
Faced with these facts, from the CIPU they instructed the ANP to declare illegal or revoke the Board Resolution 722/3512 of 2009 and all those regulations that “do not comply with or contravene the ISPS Code” especially those that allow the Suntma or others that “are not port operators” to “indiscriminately manage port access cards”.
It was also instructed to immediately revoke “all cards issued within the framework of these regulations” Already remove the Suntma headquarters from the port area, located on pier 10 of the Port of Montevideo.
Carla Coleman
Concern: Harbor Shots
A director of the CIPUwho asked not to be identified, explained to The Observer that the stops “constants” by the union directly attack the production of the sectorwhich today has 50 boats fisheries that “depend exclusively on the catch they bring to port”.
Along these lines, he reported that Uruguay reached export 120 thousand tons of fish and today it exports around 54 thousand per year, which marks a clear decrease. Right now it is the beginning of the fishing season. According to the source, it is “Ships need to be operational” as “if you don’t work there are no results”.
“Here the companies have fixed costs when they have stopped ships. Then, any problem that arises and causes an interruption, causes the companies to maintain their fixed costs – which are ultimately losses when they are not working – and, in turn, cause the crews to also not get paid anything“, held.
The main demand of businessmen is on the side of the access and circulation cards to the port precinct granted by the ANP Directory in 2009. According to the CIPU director, the union does not have legal status so that The entry of people linked to it who are not related to port activity should not be authorized. Nevertheless, it happens, she assured.
“Who guarantees the actions of these people? Although the companies are authorized to request and issue these permits before the ANP, we respond to them, but the union does not. This has generated that minorities can be in the port 24 hours“, he claimed.
Along these lines, he mentioned that the Suntma has a container office in the port and they do not understand how something like this was authorized. “Today these minorities remain within the port area, it is almost as if they were occupying the dock, the workplace where only people who are performing an operation should be. However, that minority makes decisions that end up encompassing all the others.“, held.
The source reported that by “unknown reasons” the decision is made to stop a ship and those who do it are people “that they don’t even man it”. In turn, the crew do not dare to leave out of fear. “White weapon; there were shootings, there are armed people. There is constant drug dealing and theft”, he denounced.
The CIPU director also recalled an issue that had already been on the public scene: the Suntma established that workers who are not affiliated with the union cannot work in the port.
Roberto Cardozo, leader of Suntma, had confirmed to Radio Carve that the union has an office on the dock where unionized workers go on Mondays to sign up as “suntma fisherman.” “It is a form of control, we have taken care of each other for many years“, said.
When asked if this situation means that those workers who are not affiliated cannot work, Cardozo replied: “Unfortunately not”. And he added: “We are uneducated workers and the only thing we know how to do is fish or unload fish and if we don’t take care of this work, we are in the oven. We all have families and we want to live”.
“If we need a crew member on a ship and we decide that it is someone we already know, who worked for us and who is good, if we call you will not be able to board because they are going to ask you to present a ticket issued by the union that enables you to board; without it he cannot do it. With that, all existing laws are violated and of course the freedom of work”, said the director of the CIPU.
According to the source, the issue has been raised with the ANP on several occasions, but the body “did not find the tools to reverse this”.
The Observer consulted ANP authorities regarding the businessmen’s complaints, but They chose not to comment on it.
