ARGENTINA: Government fines striking drivers as fuel runs short in gas stations, industrial sector

Record ID: 340855

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Government fines striking drivers as fuel runs short in gas stations, industrial sector
  • Date: 22nd June 2012
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JUNE 21, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING TO FILL TANKS SIGN READING: THERE'S NO GAS VARIOUS OF GAS STATION ATTENDANT TURNING PEOPLE BACK
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9C7I6NM9ZAIHUQ2W98T2JGC6E
  • Story Text: The government took legal action against striking truck drivers on Thursday (June 21) as service stations in Argentina started running low on fuel and industrial production was scaled back.
    A three-day strike by fuel truckers is due to end on Friday, but union boss Hugo Moyano, who heads the CGT labour federation, has vowed to announce a nation-wide strike by all truckers. On Thursday, however, industry sources said the truckers had reached a pay deal. Details on the agreement were not immediately available.
    Argentina's Planning Minister Julio de Vido said the government would file more charges beyond a fining the truckers' union four million pesos for defying an order to negotiate.
    "Beyond the charges pressed by the interior ministry and the transport industry for the threats from the truckers' union, we are also going to press charges for the violation of the sovereignty law in gas and oil and article 194. This will come in the following hours," De Vido said.
    The truck drivers blocked depots and refineries in one of the biggest trade-union challenges of President Cristina Fernandez's five-year rule.
    Fernandez deployed military police to guard fuel depots and oil refineries blockaded by truckers and implemented emergency supply plans in an effort to avert shortages, a situation not seen since a rebellion by farmers in 2008.
    "We've redirected fuel to the industrial sector and we've maintained a minimum for industrial activity which is 23 million cubic metres a day. This means a large part of Argentina's industry will be paralysed for a lack of fuel," De Vido added.
    Fernandez returned to the country from an overseas trip early due to the protest by the truck drivers' union - feared by governments for its capacity to bring Latin America's third-biggest economy to a standstill.
    Argentina is one of the world's biggest exporters of grains and the vast majority of farm goods are sent to port by truck. Farmers, who are nearing the end of this year's soy and corn harvest, are also major consumers of fuel.
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