Uruguay
Negotiations remain stalled at the port between TCP and the union, with pressure on the government
The terminal and the workers remain without an agreement after months of talks over the collective bargaining agreement. While they await a new summons from the Ministry of Labor, the union questioned the Executive Branch’s handling of the matter and rejected the setting of minimum services.
The conflict between Terminal Cuenca del Plata (TCP) and its workers’ union remains without a near-term resolution, according to El País. Although there are currently no measures affecting port operations, concern persists in the government over a negotiation that began in January and remains unresolved.
According to that outlet, the latest episode brought Yamandú Orsi’s government to the center of the debate, after it defined the essential minimum services that must be maintained in the event of any new strikes. The decision was rejected by the Sindicato Único Portuario y Ramas Afines (Supra), which also requested a formal meeting with Executive Branch authorities.
According to El País, the Presidency is working to coordinate a meeting with Labor Minister Juan Castillo; Transport Minister Lucía Etcheverry; and the Secretary of the Presidency, Alejandro Sánchez. At the same time, the parties are awaiting a new summons from the Ministry of Labor to resume a tripartite table.
The underlying dispute remains focused on the length of the collective bargaining agreement, the number of guaranteed workdays and the union standby scheme that would govern any future labor action. El País noted that on September 7 an understanding seemed to be taking shape, when Supra announced acceptance of a company proposal within the framework of a two-year agreement. However, the resolution of the TCP-Nelsury assembly introduced changes that the company did not accept, so its position remained unchanged.
Among those points, the union proposed that the agreement last two years, referred to the guaranteed shifts in crane operations, called for the application of the peace clause of the Wage Councils and asked to maintain the union standby throughout the term of the agreement, under union regulation.
El País added that Katoen Natie, TCP’s majority partner, is assessing the economic damage caused by strikes and assemblies in order to potentially file a compensation claim. The conflict also unfolds in a broader scenario of tensions at the port, which also involves Montecon and its main shareholder, Neltume Ports.
In remarks to Info Capital, on TV Ciudad, Supra secretary general Álvaro Reinaldo said the Executive Branch’s decision on minimum services severely limits “assemblies or the shutdown” of workers. He also said the government should have taken “a more active role” in a negotiation that has gone six months without results.
Reinaldo said there were no outreach proposals from the Ministry of Labor and cited the gap between the parties over workdays as an example: “We say we want 26 workdays, the company said: ‘No, I’ll give you 20′”. He also said that, in his view, the company’s current proposal is worse than the one in the expired agreement.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
