Puerto Quetzal talks welcomed
News Release
International Transport Federation (ITF)
August 17, 2012
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none" class=Subhead1><A
name=OLE_LINK1><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"
lang=EN-GB><STRONG>13 August 2012<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></A></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none" class=Subhead1><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"
lang=EN-GB><o:p><STRONG> </STRONG></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Breathing
space for Puerto Quetzal union welcomed</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"
lang=EN-GB><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-GB>N</SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">ews
that the military has withdrawn from Puerto Quetzal port in Guatemala and that
privatisation plans have been temporarily put on hold as a result of an
agreement between the government and the port workers’ union STEPQ (Sindicato de
Trabajadores de Empresa Portuaria Quetzal) has been welcomed by the
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) today (13
August).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Under
the agreement, a 30-day period will allow government-mediated talks to take
place between the Port of Quetzal (EPQ) and STEPQ. During that time, EPQ must
suspend all actions against the union and the port operators will return to
work. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Following
the revelation last week that secret talks had taken place between the TCB
(Barcelona Container Terminal) and the Guatemalan government to privatise Puerto
Quetzal, and the news that the deal was to be officially announced on 7 August,
the STEPQ reacted angrily and stopped port operations. The union had only just
agreed a contract with the port on 11 July, without any knowledge of the
privatisation talks. Senior STEPQ representatives met Guatemalan President, Gen.
Otto Perez Molina, and were told that they had 10 days in which to consider the
deal. Yet within 72 hours, on 8 August, some 500 soldiers were sent in and took
control of the port.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">ITF
general secretary David Cockroft said: “We welcome this breathing space for
constructive talks to take place with STEPQ and hope all sides honour it.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are pleased to see workers being able
to get back to work after the alarm over last week’s
developments.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
<META content="text/html; charset=unicode" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19258"></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none" class=Subhead1><A
name=OLE_LINK1><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"
lang=EN-GB><STRONG>13 August 2012<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></A></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none" class=Subhead1><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"
lang=EN-GB><o:p><STRONG> </STRONG></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Breathing
space for Puerto Quetzal union welcomed</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 15pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-line-height-rule: exactly"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"
lang=EN-GB><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt"
lang=EN-GB>N</SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">ews
that the military has withdrawn from Puerto Quetzal port in Guatemala and that
privatisation plans have been temporarily put on hold as a result of an
agreement between the government and the port workers’ union STEPQ (Sindicato de
Trabajadores de Empresa Portuaria Quetzal) has been welcomed by the
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) today (13
August).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Under
the agreement, a 30-day period will allow government-mediated talks to take
place between the Port of Quetzal (EPQ) and STEPQ. During that time, EPQ must
suspend all actions against the union and the port operators will return to
work. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">Following
the revelation last week that secret talks had taken place between the TCB
(Barcelona Container Terminal) and the Guatemalan government to privatise Puerto
Quetzal, and the news that the deal was to be officially announced on 7 August,
the STEPQ reacted angrily and stopped port operations. The union had only just
agreed a contract with the port on 11 July, without any knowledge of the
privatisation talks. Senior STEPQ representatives met Guatemalan President, Gen.
Otto Perez Molina, and were told that they had 10 days in which to consider the
deal. Yet within 72 hours, on 8 August, some 500 soldiers were sent in and took
control of the port.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US">ITF
general secretary David Cockroft said: “We welcome this breathing space for
constructive talks to take place with STEPQ and hope all sides honour it.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are pleased to see workers being able
to get back to work after the alarm over last week’s
developments.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>