No Follow-Up Strike at Some Terminals in Barcelona

Workers at some terminals in the port of Barcelona have not joined the follow-up strike called for Monday, June 19 across Spanish ports, according to the Puertos del Estado department of the Spanish Public Works Ministry.

Namely, ​​work activity at ​​Best, Setram, Coma i Riba and Sammer terminals continues normally, Barcelona port authority is quoted as saying.

In addition, the port authorities of Cartagena, Ferrol-San Cibrao and Marín and Ría de Pontevedra claimed that the impact of the strike was minimal.

In general, minimum working activity is being respected across the ports.

After last week’s 48-hour strike in Spanish ports that is estimated to have cost the country EUR 110 million (USD 123 million), dockworkers said that they would stop work at odd hours on June 19th, 21st, 23rd, resulting in only 50% of workable time.

The follow-up strike comes in the aftermath of the decision of the employers’ association Anesco not to vote on the latest proposal of a framework agreement submitted by the trade unions.

As explained, the proposal contains possible violations of competition laws that could be penalized with fines of up to 10% of the turnover of each company involved and up to EUR 60,000 to the people directly involved.

Nevertheless, Anesco said it would send a new proposal to the union on Tuesday for consideration.

Responding to the decision, the workers noted that they would wait for the proposal to make relevant assessments, however, until then they will keep calls for strikes in ports.

World Maritime News Staff