Workers’ strike again restricts operations at Montevideo Port

Operations at Montevideo’s Cuenca del Plata Terminal were interrupted again on Monday as workers launched a strike and set up an indefinite union guard, deepening a labor dispute that has already caused more than 30 days of stoppages this year.

The terminal operator said the guard arranged unilaterally by the union was not enough to ensure continuity of operations. The resulting “limited operation,” the company said, was causing “significant damages and losses” for TCP, its customers, port users and the entire logistics chain.

The dispute centers on the renewal of a collective agreement for the terminal’s 550 employees. TCP is 80% owned by Belgian logistics operator Katoen Natie and 20% by Uruguay’s National Ports Administration. The previous agreement expired, and the union entered a permanent assembly on Aug. 26, saying talks had been exhausted because the company was not negotiating in good faith.

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The guard defined unilaterally by the union is insufficient to guarantee the terminal’s operational continuity.

The union says workers have not received wage increases above legally established minimums for more than 20 years. It also criticizes delays in promised projects intended to position Montevideo as a regional hub, saying the delays have damaged service and Uruguay’s standing.

The company rejects claims that it has refused to negotiate. It says it recently presented a proposal whose progress workers recognized and later added further improvements. On Monday, the union indicated conditional acceptance of the proposal, so it will not currently ask the government to declare the sector essential. Presidential Secretary Alejandro Sánchez said the measure had been requested by the political system, not the company, and that the parties were “close to signing an agreement.”

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We are close to signing an agreement.