PORTUGAL: Portuguese port workers begin a five day strike

Record ID: 340610

  • Title: PORTUGAL: Portuguese port workers begin a five day strike
  • Date: 10th January 2012
  • Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (JANUARY 09, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LISBON PORT CONTAINERS VARIOUS OF PORT WORKERS PREPARING FOR MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) VICE-PRESIDENT OF FESNARPOR (CONFEDERATION OF MARITIME AND PORT WORKERS), VITOR DIAS, SAYING: "We don't get any pleasure in doing this strike, we want to find a solution for the problem of Aveiro port workers and the mo
  • Embargoed: 25th January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Portugal, Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7PQ9RKKA6Y0SG9HECGPIR8DWK
  • Story Text: Portuguese port workers started a five-day strike on Monday (January 09) which is threatening to disrupt exports, the only sector of the economy doing well as the government imposes harsh austerity measures.
    The strike hit most of the country's ports, including Lisbon, with only minimum services maintained as workers protested against the closure of the port handling company in the northern port of Aveiro.
    "We don't get any pleasure in doing this strike, we want to find a solution for the problem of Aveiro port workers and the moment that we find it, we will stop the strike," said Vitor Dias, the vice-president of the FESMARPOR confederation of maritime and port workers.
    "I can't say with accuracy the amount regarding losses incurred by this strike, I would say that obviously it will be high as in any other strike," he added.
    The workers want the government to ensure the port handling company in Aveiro does not go bankrupt and that staff there do not lose their jobs.
    So far, opposition to austerity in Portugal has been tame in comparison with countries like Greece and a strike now could send a damaging signal to markets just as the country enters the toughest year of spending cuts and tax rises demanded by a 78-billion-euro EU/IMF bailout.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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