Argentina union workers block access to all ports around Rosario

Argentinian workers of the union UOCRA have blocked access to all ports around Rosario on Wednesday following after a protest that started early on Tuesday in Molinos Agro spilt over to impact wider port activity, industry sources have told Agricensus.

"The strike started on Tuesday morning in the port of Molinos Agro in the north of Rosario, but it had extended to other ports by the evening, affecting several ports," an Argentinean industry source told Agricensus.

It is understood that the ports of San Martin, San Lorenzo and Timbues are being affected by the protest action, affecting several port terminals.

The protest follows worker's union strike activity that started on Tuesday morning, when the workers of UOCRA blocked access to the installations of the exporter Molinos Agro, located in the Up River hub city of San Lorenzo.

Workers were demanding a bonus for subcontractors that provide a yearly maintenance services to export plants.  

"The industry is used to these sort of protests unfortunately," a second Argentinean trade source told Agricensus.  

But blocking other ports will impact export activity in the key export hub of the Up River complex. 

"Not letting trucks in with primary products [to be processed and exported] makes the ports inoperable," said the first industry source.  

Tuesday's protest led to all trucks carrying grains and other commodities into Molinos Agro being stopped, with the company only able to process volumes held in stock, while all the daily arrivals were cancelled, according to local press reports.

Union workers are demanding a ‘stoppage premium’, an extra payment for subcontractors that carry out yearly maintenance at plants, and is triggered when a production line is stopped to undergo cleaning, maintenance and adjustment.

Argentina is one of the key exporters of agricultural commodities globally, trading corn, wheat, soyoil and meal, animal feed amongst other commodities.