The Port of Santos has come to a stop today. Around six thousand dockers are in dispute over problems of escalas [the system for appointment of casuals], which for over 60 years have been handled by the dockworkers’ union, but by agreement with a federal ruling are now to be carried out by the Órgão Gestor de Mão de Obra (OGMO) [a private company].
According to information from GloboNews, the escala this Monday was suspended over lack of work safety. There was uproar this morning and some were injured after being attacked.
Fourteen ships are affected according to the Companhia Docas do Estado de São Paulo (Codesp). In total, 21 ships are tied up in port, and barely 7 of these are working.
The union will maintain the protest indefinitely. The dockers demand that OGMO carry out a series of health and safety measures and supply protective equipment, in accordance with the Port Law.
In total, there are ten thousand dockers in the Port of Santos.
