Strike cuts output at biggest Galp refinery: union
LISBON (Reuters) - Workers at the largest oil refinery operated by Portugal’s Galp Energia started a month-long strike on March 1, cutting output at the Sines facility by 25-30 percent, union leaders said.
Galp said in a statement it would not comment on the impact of the strike, adding it did not recognize the union’s calculations. During similar strikes in the past, it has said production has not been significantly affected.
Striking workers said the oil and gas company had failed to resume a collective bargaining agreement or to negotiate better salaries, health
“Production at the main units in Sines is at 60 percent (of capacity),” said Miguel Bravo, from the
Sines, in southern Portugal, produces 220,000 barrels per day. Workers at Galp’s second Portuguese refinery, in Matosinhos, which has around half the capacity, are due to strike from March 15, the union said.
In a statement sent to Reuters, Bravo said the strike is also having an impact on exports. Speaking to Portugal’s Lusa news agency, the union said Galp registered a loss of 36 million euros ($40.7 million) in exports due to strike action that unfolded during the first three months of 2019.
Asked about any impact on exports, Galp said: “above all, the group’s exports have reflected current market conditions, namely the exceptionally low levels of ‘gasoline cracks’ in the international market.”
Shares in Galp were up 0.44 percent at 1057 GMT.
Reporting by Catarina Demony; Additional reporting by Goncalo Almeida; Editing by Jan Harvey and David Evans
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