MARITIME NEWS

Callao Dockworkers Announce Indefinite Strike

zoom The APM Terminals is facing strike action in Callao, the chief seaport of Peru, starting May 13th, the ports union of dockworkers Sutramporpc announced. The union approved an indefinite strike at the latest general assembly due to the port operators failure to agree on improved collective working conditions proposed by the union. The union said that the strike would affect operations of the North Pier of the port of Callao, which is undergoing a major makeover financed by the APM Terminals. According to the union Secretary Geraldo Honores, the conflict between the two sides has worsened over the past few weeks, as the company has taken a prosecutorial attitude toward the workers who are merely seeking their rights. The announcement follows a 48 hour industrial action taken by Sutramporpc on April 14. Around 95% of port workers are affiliated with the union. The port bears an extreme importance for Perus international trade as it handles majority of the countrys seaborne cargo. APM Terminals launched a USD 750 million expansion project in Callao, Peru in 2013 bringing in giant infrastructure intended to handle large ships. The project is expected to be completed in 2021, when APM Terminals Callao is set to have an annual container throughput capacity of 2.9 million TEUs and 15 million tons of bulk cargo.