Argentine oilseed workers’ strike nears one week By Reuters

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – A strike by oilseed workers in Argentina will continue into a seventh day on Monday as wage negotiations with firms stalled, affecting shipments from one of the world’s biggest grain exporters.

“We will continue the strike,” Martin Morales, union secretary of the San Lorenzo Oilseed Workers and Employees Union (SOEA), told Reuters on Sunday. “Tomorrow we will reassess (whether to continue or not).”

Two industrial unions went on strike last Tuesday as workers demanded wages stay ahead of high inflation.

Morales said the affected companies have yet to contact the unions to negotiate.

The strike mainly affected terminals located north of Rosario along the Parana River, where more than 80 percent of Argentina’s agricultural and agro-industrial exports are shipped.

At least three dozen ships were still delayed on Sunday near Rosario, one of the world’s most important agricultural export hubs.

In June, the federal government forced SOEA to suspend a strike, calling it to mandatory reconciliation talks, forcing the union and firms to return to the bargaining table.

Argentina is a major producer of grains and is a leading exporter of soybean oil and soybean meal.

The country’s economy relies heavily on foreign exchange funds brought in by grain exports as the government works to shore up limited central bank reserves.