A group of casual port workers from Valparaíso resumed blocking the streets of the port city with incendiary barricades, particularly in the vicinity of Plaza Sotomayor. This once again suspended vehicular traffic on Avenida Errázuriz, and on Blanco and Cochrane streets.
It should be recalled that the protest, like the one that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 30 and the morning of Wednesday, October 1, corresponds to a pressure measure within the framework of a pending negotiation with Report – linked to Terminal Portuario Valparaíso (TPV) – due to a lack of agreement on a rate adjustment.
In line with what was reported by TransporteInforma Región de Valparaíso, the new blockade began around 15:30 hours. “Traffic suspended on Avenida Errázuriz in both directions and on Blanco between Sotomayor and Plaza Aduana, Valparaíso. A group of people remains on both roads. Vehicular flow diverted towards Tomás Ramos. Prefer Camino Cintura and La Pólvora as alternative routes,” the entity noted.
However, 13 minutes later, “vehicular traffic was reported interrupted on Avenida Errázuriz from Ross and on Blanco from Urriola, both heading towards the Port. Flows redirected towards Camino Cintura. Prefer La Pólvora as an alternative route,” according to what was published by the platform linked to the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT).
In line with information accessed by PortalPortuario, the protests have not moved inside the terminals of the Port of Valparaíso, where operations have been carried out – for the moment – without major inconveniences.
To date, the port facility has four ships moored at its sites, two at Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS) – an entity that recently reached an agreement with the Valparaíso Stevedores Union – and the other two at TPV, which is still negotiating with the workers.
Under this context, the regional presidential delegate of Valparaíso, Yanino Riquelme, communicated that “we understand and validate all the negotiation processes that workers may have, but we cannot allow these actions to detract from the right to circulation of the rest of the citizens.”
Meanwhile, Pablo Klimpel, secretary of the Valparaíso Stevedores Union, stated that “the inconveniences we are generating are in the name of all workers. Here we have thousands of worker layoffs, unions that do not reach an agreement with their companies, they cut salaries and we believe we have the right to claim our right to protest, our right to mobilize as workers.”
It is worth mentioning that the casual port workers are workers who are appointed by shifts, according to the needs required by each terminal, so their contract lasts for the period for which they have been summoned, being signed and finalized at the beginning and end of the respective period.
