Data through 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026)
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Oilseed workers strike halts grain exports at Rosario area ports

Oilseed workers strike halts grain exports at Rosario area ports. The disruption ran from 2020-12-09 (9 December 2020) to 2020-12-29 (29 December 2020), 21 days, affecting Rosario, San Martin. Rosario averaged 1.4 calls per day during the event window against an expected 1.9 (-0.5). San Martin averaged 0.2 calls per day during the event window against an expected 2.1 (-2.0).

Key facts

Started
2020-12-09 (9 December 2020)
Ended
2020-12-29 (29 December 2020)
Status
ended
Severity
3 Significant
Scope
regional
Chokepoints
None
Lanes
None
Countries
Argentina
Confidence
high: The start, the continuation and the settlement are documented in statements by the unions that called the strike, with the lifting of the action and the number of ships waiting reported by Infobae.
First reported
2020-12-09 (9 December 2020)
  • Severity basis: Port level stoppage of seven days or more, since loading at the Rosario area export terminals was halted for 21 days from 2020-12-09.

What happened

A national strike by oilseed workers and grain receivers that began at 06:00 on 2020-12-09 (9 December 2020) halted crushing plants and export loading at the Rosario area ports on the Paraná river for 21 days. The oilseed workers' federation and the grain receivers' union URGARA called the action over pay, naming the employer chambers CIARA, CEC, CARBIO, CIAVEC and CPPC. Terminals at Rosario, Puerto General San Martín, San Lorenzo, Timbúes, Arroyo Seco, General Lagos, Villa Constitución, San Nicolás, Ramallo, Zárate, Bahía Blanca and Quequén were affected. The unions announced a settlement on 2020-12-29 after talks at the national labour ministry. Press reported 173 ships waiting to load when the strike was lifted.

Measured effect

Dry bulk port calls, Rosario

Baseline (expected)
1.9 calls per day
Observed
1.4 calls per day
Change
-0.5 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
Standardised score
-0.3
Event window
2020-12-09 to 2020-12-29 (21 days)
Baseline window
2020-10-07 to 2020-12-01 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:b0b17944448e

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Dry bulk port calls, San Martin

Baseline (expected)
2.1 calls per day
Observed
0.2 calls per day
Change
-2.0 (percent omitted, baseline too small)
Standardised score
-1.3
Event window
2020-12-09 to 2020-12-29 (21 days)
Baseline window
2020-10-07 to 2020-12-01 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:c76f191dbb02

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Timeline

  1. The oilseed workers' federation and the grain receivers' union URGARA begin an open ended national strike at 06:00, naming the employer chambers CIARA, CEC, CARBIO, CIAVEC and CPPC and demanding a higher minimum wage. [s1]
  2. The unions report that talks at the national labour ministry have ended without agreement and that the strike continues. [s2]
  3. Press reports that the stoppage has run for about 15 days and that grain and oilseed exports from the Rosario ports remain halted. [s4]
  4. After about 12 hours of talks at the national labour ministry the unions announce a settlement on day 21, with a new starting wage from 1 January 2021, an extraordinary payment and a bonus for workers who stayed on during the pandemic lockdown. [s3] [s5]
  5. Press reports that the oilseed unions and the grain receivers have lifted the strike, with 173 ships waiting to load. The federation says it remains on alert because the private ports chamber has not yet signed the agreement with URGARA. [s5] [s6]

Cause

The oilseed workers' federation, the San Lorenzo oilseed workers' union and the grain receivers' union URGARA called the strike over pay, saying they sought a minimum wage that met the standard of living set out in the Argentine constitution, after the employer chambers refused to negotiate on that basis. Attributed by: Federación de Trabajadores del Complejo Industrial Oleaginoso, Desmotadores de Algodón y Afines de la República Argentina. [s1] [s2]

Resolution

2020-12-29 (29 December 2020): The unions announced a settlement on 2020-12-29 after talks at the national labour ministry, ending the strike on its 21st day. Terms included a new starting wage from 1 January 2021, an extraordinary payment and a bonus for workers who continued during the pandemic lockdown. The grain receivers' agreement was formalised the next day. [s3] [s5] [s6]

Corrections

No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026).

Sources

  1. [s1] Federación Aceitera, Huelga Nacional en la industria aceitera y de exportación de granos, published 2020-12-09 (9 December 2020), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  2. [s2] Federación Aceitera, Sin acuerdo: sigue la Huelga Nacional, published 2020-12-14 (14 December 2020), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  3. [s3] Federación Aceitera, Victoria de la Huelga Nacional en la Industria Aceitera y de Exportación de Granos, published 2020-12-29 (29 December 2020), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  4. [s4] Página/12, Navidad en paro en puertos rosarinos, published 2020-12-24 (24 December 2020), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
  5. [s5] Infobae, Los gremios aceiteros acordaron una mejora salarial y levantarán el paro en los puertos exportadores tras 20 días de conflicto, published 2020-12-30 (30 December 2020), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
  6. [s6] Federación Aceitera, Estado de Alerta por acuerdo de URGARA, published 2020-12-30 (30 December 2020), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)