BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – A strike by oilseed workers in Argentina will enter its seventh day on Monday as wage negotiations with companies stalled, impacting shipments at one of the world’s biggest grain exporters.
“We will continue with the strike,” Martin Morales, union secretary of the San Lorenzo Department Oilseed Workers and Employees Union (SOEA), told Reuters on Sunday. “Tomorrow we will re-evaluate (whether to continue or not).”
Two unions launched the strike last Tuesday as workers demanded salaries stay ahead of high inflation.
Morales said affected companies have not yet contacted unions to negotiate.
The strike has mainly affected terminals north of Rosario along the Parana River, where more than 80% of Argentina’s agricultural and agro-industrial exports are shipped.
At least three dozen ships continued to be delayed Sunday near Rosario, one of the world’s most important agro-export hubs.
In June, the federal government had forced the SOEA to suspend a strike by calling for mandatory reconciliation talks, forcing the union and companies back to the bargaining table.
Argentina is a major grain producer and one of the largest exporters of soy oil and soy meal.
The country’s economy is heavily dependent on foreign exchange funds coming in from grain exports, as the government works to shore up the scarce reserves of central banks.
