Cargo shippers in Argentina launched an indefinite strike Wednesday, the 22nd, closing some highways in the country. The mobilization covers the authorities’ response to the diesel shortage and demands an increase in freight rates.
The strike is led by two unions in the industry amid the international scarcity of this and other fuels and their rising prices due to the war in Russia and Ukraine.
In the provinces of Buenos Aires, Neuquén, Rio Negro, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Tucumán, Chaco, Corrientes, Misiones and Formosa, long queues of trucks parked side by side and even closed highways.
Previously, a group of transporters had stopped vehicular traffic on one of the main access roads leading to the Argentine capital, but they eventually freed the gateway by order of the Ministry of Security.
In Argentina, diesel demand has increased in recent months due to increased activity in sectors such as transport and mining in the context of the economic recovery.
However, it is not profitable for oil companies to import diesel, as the government prevents all of its value from going to market in the current inflationary context, because they cannot sell it at the purchase price.
Cargo transportation in Argentina is practically monopolized by trucks. Negotiations did not progress, although the government called the strikers to a meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
source: Noticias
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