The strike in Callao, the chief seaport of Peru, has taken yet another turn, as workers have started receiving letters of employment termination from APM Terminals, according to local dockworkers’ union Sutramporpc.
The workers launched an indefinite strike on May 13th due to the port operator, APM Terminal’s failure to agree on improved collective working conditions proposed by the union. The current collective contract expired in May 2014.
“In a radical change of strategy APM, after insisting that the strike did not affect their operations, began to send to the houses of the striking workers, employment separation letters.
While the parties during the strike have continued meeting in the Ministry of labour to find a negotiated solution, APM has now opted for a strategy of greater confrontation against the striking workers,” said Geraldo Honores, Secretary General of Sutramporpc .
The ongoing dispute between dockers and APM Terminals has already resulted in over USD 50 million losses in containerized exports due to dockworkers’ strike, data from the Peruvian Association of Exporters (ADEX) shows.
The union said that the replacement of striking workers by the Peru Navy personnel or staff without experience didn’t alleviate the impact that has had the strike in the operations of the port of Callao on maritime operators around them.
World Maritime News Staff