“The instability, volume declines, and diversion of lines by MSC [Mediterranean Shipping Company] at Terminal XXI are directly the responsibility of this union due to the strike notice,” according to PSA Sines. However, Luis Peixoto, the union’s president, stated that the company has been inflexible in reaching a social peace agreement at the terminal.
In a statement, Peixoto argued that the union denies any responsibility for the social instability caused throughout the year by various strikes. He announced the withdrawal of the strike notice to demonstrate the union’s “sense of responsibility and maturity.”
Nevertheless, he emphasized that the successive strikes at the terminal are “legitimate and a workers’ right,” and their consequences stem from “the company’s intransigence in reaching an understanding with the Agreement’s signatory,” which is union XXI.
Despite lifting the strike, the union plans to bring the situation to the attention of the Administration of the Ports of Sines and the Algarve (APS) and the Ministry of Infrastructure, which oversees the ports. “Fear and persecution of workers for their rights cannot occur,” stated Peixoto.
“The strike notice is not withdrawn out of fear or pressure on this union structure, but due to the responsibility and the atmosphere created by the company at the terminal, with talks of mass layoffs and an unsustainable situation,” he affirmed.
Even so, the trade unionist admitted the possibility in the future of “other forms of protest” or even to return “to this same form” that was canceled today.
“PSA has systematically issued statements about the loss of volumes, presenting an email from client MSC withdrawing three shipping routes that were diverted to Spain, but this has been happening since the strikes that began in March and continued until December,” convened by other union structures, he noted.
The unionist explained that a workers’ meeting was scheduled for the afternoon to present and discuss “a possible agreement” with the company “to end social instability,” but it was canceled due to a lack of consensus in its interpretation.
“The fact is that some measures of the agreement under discussion did not create consensus, as realized today,” particularly “the reading of proposed salary tables,” with which the union disagrees, leading to the plenary’s cancellation, Peixoto pointed out.
The strike notice was issued on November 26 against imposing schedules and salary career regression.
Apart from work schedules, the union, which has approximately 400 members out of a total of about 1,300 workers, indicated that the strike also aimed to negotiate salary tables.
