SOUTH AMERICA

Valparaíso reels from strike blows

8 years ago

2018 was not a good year for container traffic at the Chilean Port of Valparaíso, which registered a 15.9% drop in throughput. For the year, traffic amounted to 903,313 teu.

A work-slowdown started May and was particularly effective in both November and December, when strikes by casual labourers made handling containers virtually impossible for 35 days.

In January, traffic was up 29.9% to 89,311 teu, with a further 8.2% rise in February, when 91,351 was handled. March saw a 12.9% hike to 118,870 teu in March, while April increased by just 1.2% to 91,923 teu.

In May, traffic dropped 13.1% to 79,057 teu, then down 15.2% in June and 23.3% in July, with traffic of 76,948 teu and 70,302 teu respectively.

September (-26.7%), October (-16.7%), November (-58.7%) and December (-56.8%) reflected the worst of the strike action, with a four-month throughput recorded of just 215,403 teu.