The Buenos Aires dockworkers again showed the world that they are not going to give in to the British multinational P&O Ports. The demands of the workers, who last Tuesday blocked access to the main container terminals in Buenos Aires, are simple: that Dardo Viani, the SUTAP trade union shop steward, is reinstated to his job; and that P&O undertakes to end the constant harassment suffered by Argentinean trade unionists.
The Argentinean dockworkers’ resistance is beginning to take on epic tones: it has been over seven months have passed since the dispute with P&O began. And although the symbol is Dardo Viani - dismissed from the port because of his trade union activities - the other workers’ situation is not much better. However, SUTAP, the Argentinean trade union, has the support of the International Dockworkers Council (IDC) and numerous members of the Argentinean Parliament, such as Miguel Bonasso and Francisco Gutiérrez. It is now clear that the Buenos Aires dockworkers are not going to submit to the policy of P&O, which ignores and “punishes” trade unionists.
The Argentinean dockworkers’ strategy involves demanding that the General Ports Administration (GPA) intervenes - as it is obliged to do - to end the harassment they suffer from. At the last meeting, held at the Ministry of Labour, which was not attended by any representative of P&O Ports, the Head of the GPA Office showed his support for the workers and stated that he was willing to seek a solution based on consensus.
Furthermore, the SUTAP General Secretary, Adolfo Barja, guarantees that the port of Buenos Aires could begin a period of stability and growth that could lead to the creation of 600 new jobs. For the IDC, which sent two delegates to the Buenos Aires port and represents more than 60, 000 dockworkers around the world, this growth can only be achieved through dialogue and recognition of trade unions.
