http://www.joc.com/enews/20001018/sections/ocean/w41046.shtml
SAO PAULO, Brazil – The Port of Rio de Janeiro suffered its second straight day of strikes by dockworkers today after a court broke the union monopoly on labor and transferred the power of appointing casual workers to a pool known as OGMO.
Strikes could spread to other ports, including Santos.
Still, private terminal operators are looking forward to what they hope will mark the end of a seven-year problem.
“This is the crunch. Now, it will be decided whether things are going to change. We are going to see whether there is going to be confrontation, but things cannot stay the way they are,” said Juan Clinton Llerena, from the port commission of the Brazilian Association of Private Terminals.
Minor incidents were reported in Rio on Tuesday after the court decision was announced. Some equipment at OGMO’s offices was said to have been destroyed. Loading and unloading operations were suspended.
Unions have defended the power to appoint the number of dockworkers at Brazilian ports, in spite of a bill passed in 1993. As a result, terminals have to hire almost 20 workers at some terminals to do the work that could be done by a few, Llerena said.
He said he expects the Rio strike to be declared illegal, which would pave the way for the resumption of operations with the terminals’ own staff.
A similar court decision is expected in Santos, Latin America’s largest port, on Monday.
“Santos is going to be troublesome,” Llerena said.
Previous strikes at Santos, a union stronghold, have delayed labor reform in the country.
