Minister confirms deal between dockers and port operators was reached

  • ECO News
  • 14 December 2018

The Marine Resources Minister has confirmed this Friday, that an agreement was reached between port operators and dockers' trade unions, meaning that the standstill in Setubal will be finally over.

The Minister of Marine Resources, Ana Paula Vitorino, publicly announced this Friday that the port operators and the dockers have finally reached an agreement, putting an end to the stalemate which had provoked a shutdown of the Port of Setubal. This Port is highly relevant for the Portuguese economy, as it allows for the distribution of Autoeuropa’s cars and other meaningful exporting operations.

Palmela’s factory was directly hit with the stoppage, having accumulated 21 thousand cars, which were due to be distributed to Germany. The fact that Volkswagen was starting to consider taking its production to the neighbouring country, Spain, made pressure on all parties, which met this Friday morning and reached an agreement which should benefit all involved.

The minister discarded the option of going forward with a civil requisition, and she guaranteed that the negotiations were not made under pressure. “This meeting allows us to reach two key goals: on one hand, it eliminates the uncomprehensible precarity of the workers of Setúbal, on the other hand, it promotes the continued growth and modernization of the Port of Setubal, fostering job creation and economic growth in our country”, Ana Paula Vitorino stated.