The entry of trucks into the port harbor has been restricted, and transportation companies claim financial losses.

At the heart of the conflict is the plan by the concessionaire company Katoen Natie to install a digital tool to optimize logistics performance.

The union has been warning against this plan since last year because its implementation would do away with job categories and positions, Alvaro Reinaldo, president of the Single Port Union and Related Branches, told Telemundo.

Operations at Cuenca del Plata Terminal, operated under concession by the Belgian company Katoen Natie, have been slowed in recent days, impacting the logistics chain and the loading and unloading of containers.

The union is conditioning acceptance of the digital program on a reduction in the workday to six hours, but at the current wage, to offset the increased production due to automation.

In a statement, Katoe Natie said it is ready to negotiate, but with full operation of its container terminal, in which the Uruguayan state holds a 20 percent stake.

The Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic, Alejandro Sanchez, ruled out legal intervention and urged the parties to reach agreements through negotiation.

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