Spanish, Portuguese Ports Hit by Strikes

zoom An indefinite towage strike has been launched today at the Port of Barcelona, Spain, Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) informed. The action has been announced by the Confederación General de Trabajadores (CGT) union and will be followed by Tug Barcelona SAR. The strike will comprise three shifts of three hour stoppages, creating in total nine hours of stoppages per day, varying in rotation over a five day cycle, then repeating from the start for an indefinite period. Tug Barcelona SAR has advised that it will provide two crewed tugs at all times to ensure the entry and exit of all authorised vessels. A tugboat will also be available for emergencies. The neighboring Portuguese ports of Lisbon, Setubal and Figueira da Foz are facing a 10-day strike organized by dockworkers as of November 14. The reason behind the dockworker strike is the end of collective bargaining agreements and the sale of the ports to the Turkish company Yildirim. The strike is expected to hit the port of Lisbons operations the most, but is not expected to affect the countrys largest port in Sines, nor the second-largest in Leixoes, Reuters reports. World Maritime News Staff