Due to a trade union conflict in Bahía Blanca, the supply of oil to produce fuel is in danger

While the new Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, appeared in Neuquén with businessmen from the hydrocarbon sector, to whom he promised a new regulatory framework to promote productive projectsthe supply of oil to the main refineries in the country – and therefore the production of fuels – was at risk due to an energetic measure that blocked the unloading of oil arriving by ship from the south to the roadstead of White Baywhere crude oil is injected into a pipeline that ends in four of Argentina’s five major refineries.

The Center for Employers, the Center for Chiefs and Naval Machinist Officers, the Ship Drivers Union and the United Maritime Workers Union (SOMU) have announced the complete cessation of activities for company tugs Artug and Svitzer, which assist ships carrying crude oil from the south of the country and ships carrying other types of general cargo. It is a claim that cannot be unlocked for now and that consists of every ship sailing with a double crew. “In some cases it is justified because these are logistical operations that take a long time, but in others they do not,” they say in the shipping industry.

The union has issued a statement in which it specifies that “the signatory trade union bodies, given the lack of response from the authorities of the Chamber, decree starting from 00:00 on 12 August, and for 24 hours, a complete cessation of activities for the Port Tugs of the company Artug and Svitzer in all the ports of the country in which they operate “.

In the oil sector, they pointed out that ships with crude oil arrive at the port of Bahía Blanca from the south of the country. There it is injected into the pipelines which they distribute the oil to four distilleries. That is why they warn of the risk of fuel shortages, due to the lack of oil availability.