SPANISH ports are to face a further round of strikes as stevedores announced plans to take industrial action next week.
According to the representatives of the Coordinadora Estatal de Trabajadores del Mar (Coordinadora), a Spanish dockworkers union, almost 100 percent of workers supported the strike, which is over 6,000 stevedores.
The union said the strikes are to be held from June 14 0800 hrs till June 16 0800 hrs. In addition, dockworkers said that they would stop work at odd hours on June 19, 21, and 23, resulting in only 50 per cent of workable time, the World Maritime News reported.
Spanish dockworker unions launched a nation-wide strike at the beginning of the week impacting operations across the country's 39 cargo ports.
Fears have been raised on what the strikes' effect would be on the country's port sector as shipping companies endeavour to reroute their cargoes to rival ports. Alternative destinations used by firms included Portugal, Morocco and Malta, Reuters reported.
"Even more, the situation in most of Spanish ports will be affected by a poor daily production and causing medium/big delays in vessels' operations," Spain-based GAC sub-agent said in a statement.
However, the strike is not affecting tankers and liquid bulk cargo, basic essential goods and perishable goods, the statement further reads.
Port of Algeciras, the country's biggest transshipment hub, is likely to suffer the biggest blow as companies like Maersk Line omit their calls to avoid delays in delivery.
The strikes have resulted from the conflict between Spanish stevedores associations and the government that passed a decree on liberalisation of port services, putting dockworkers' jobs in the hands of the companies that could replace them with cheaper labour.
During the recent talks between the union and Anesco, port employers' association, the latter could not guarantee the security of all dockworker jobs, which prompted the workers to go ahead with their strike plans.
