The Business Association of Portugal (AEP), together with six other entities, alerted the Government of the blockade of imports and exports caused by the strike in the ports, calling for an end to the stoppage and the “economic bleeding” in the ports.
“We write as workers, operators and clients of the Port of Leixões, alerted and deeply concerned by the national strike of port administration employees that, at this moment, blocks and paralyzes the import and export of goods,” the letter reads. open sent to the executive, to which Lusa had access.
The document in question was sent to the President of the Government, António Costa, the Minister of Finance, Fernando Medina, and the then Minister of Infrastructure, Pedro Nuno Santos, by the AEP, the Leixões Port Community, the Porto Trade Association, the Association of Agentes de Navegação de Portugal, National Association of Port Terminal Concessionaires, Association of Freight Forwarders of Portugal and Association of Port Operators of Leixões.
According to the associations, the users of the ports with the greatest capacity are already diverting cargo to Spain and other ports. However, most operators “do not have that possibility”, being paralyzed. “The situation is especially serious in the Port of Leixões, since its physical characteristics dictate its total closure, without the entry or exit of ships being possible,” they pointed out.
These associations also stressed that the port administrations “do not have autonomy” to resolve the claims presented, specifically in terms of remuneration, which they said can only be addressed by guardianship.
In the document, they also mentioned that, annually, the port administrations distribute dividends to the State, noting that, according to the law, the rates serve to improve the port service. Thus, they considered that it is “the duty, obligation and responsibility of the Government to correctly apply these rates and the proper functioning of the ports.”
For the seven entities, it is “urgent to guarantee the suspension” of the strike and stop the “economic bleeding” that occurs in all national ports. “We appeal to the sense of responsibility and duty of the parties so that dialogue can be resumed immediately and solutions are found,” he concluded.
The National Union of Port Administration Workers (SNTAP) called a multi-day strike, which began on December 22 and will last until January 30 and includes ports on the mainland, Madeira and Azores.
According to the document sent to the Government, regional secretariats and port administrations, the workers of the ports of the continent and of Madeira will be on strike “from 00:00 on December 22 until 24:00 on December 23″, ” from 00:00 on December 27 to 24:00 on the 29th” and “from 00:00 to 24:00 on 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27 and 30 from January”.
The union accuses the port administrations of “total lack of availability” to discuss the salary review proposal for 2023, having made “several requests for meetings” by the SNTAP that remained unanswered, “namely, by the port administrations Sines and Lisbon”.
The workers’ representatives also point to the “subsistence of serious situations” of violation of the legislation and the current collective agreement, including a case that they describe as “labour harassment” of a worker in the port of Sines.
Source: Observadora
