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Peruvian port workers protest against privatisation threat
6 April 2005
Workers in Peru’s main port have carried out a two-pronged protest against plans to privatise the country’s port industry.
Members of ITF affiliate Federación Nacional de Trabajadores de la Empresa Nacional de Puertos (Fentenapu), the union representing workers of Empresa Nacional de Puertos del Perú (ENAPU), the state-owned port management company, organised two demonstrations - on 15 and 21 March - in the port of Callao. They were voicing their opposition to the national ports development programme, launched on 10 March, which promotes private investment in the modernisation of the port sector. An injection of more than US$1 billion is expected during the modernisation process.
The port workers were supported by a number of other groups including students, construction and airport workers, as well as oil sector union leaders.
Adolfo Granadino, Fentenapu´s Press and Union Education Secretary and ITF Coordinator in Peru, explained that the programme impeded competition between the public and private sectors. There was also a risk that the private sector would not invest in the state-owned company.
“In the past 15 years the investments never materialised. That’s why privatisation in Peru has only meant unemployment, poverty and the country’s increasing dependency. Today we want investments to be real and this will only be possible with the active presence of ENAPU and cooperation between the private and state sectors.”
He added, “Although elimination of ENAPU is not on the agenda of the national port development plan, we are concerned that a government spokesperson and a number of officials are discussing ENAPU´s final liquidation.”
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