The stevedore strike in the Port of Barcelona last Wednesday, one of three that week, saw only about 100 stevedores out of 1,100 in the Port turn up for work, leading to transportation delays.
The stevedore strike appeared particularly to have affected container transport. This had a knock-on effect on drivers. “The loaded trucks cannot unload and the empty ones cannot get loaded,” complained a driver at the entry to the Port of Barcelona to Catalan News Agency, with a colleague adding that “it is always us drivers who have to pay the price”.
The stevedores accuse the trade association Anesco of not guaranteeing continuity to the workers after reforms to the sector recently approved by Spanish Congress, applying a ruling from the European Union on freedom of labour. Hitherto the legal framework used for handling goods in Spanish ports had violated article 49 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
Three more days of stoppage are planned for June 19th, 21st and 23rd.