Uruguay: New rules at Montevideo port a boon to monopoly, say small operators

New rules imposed by the Port Authority in Montevideo harbour have angered smaller operators of shipping services, who say their business will be negatively affected. The measures, they say, will make it impossible for most operators to compete with Chilean colossus Montecon.

The main complaints are directed towards a decree which forces container handlers to guarantee wages for 13 workers daily. “This consolidates Montecon’s dominance, because there’s no other operator that can guarantee 13 jobs each day, due to their scale”, said the operators. This could, they warn, push out the smaller operators and consolidate the dominion of the Chilean company.

Operators also revealed the reason for their caution so far, saying that “the reality is that the assignment of areas is not done through files and procedures. It is completely discretional and up to the management. That’s why no one wants to start a fuss.”

Full Content: Entorno Inteligente

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