MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ancap workers resume jet fuel supply at Uruguayan airports

Regarding supply after Tuesday's talks, “a couple of trucks should be arriving in the next few hours,” Charamelo explained.

Fancap union leaders representing workers of Uruguay's state-run oil company Ancap Tuesday agreed to lift the strike they were staging following a meeting early Tuesday at the Labor Minister (MTSS) in Montevideo, it was announced.

A new meeting with Ancap's board is to be held on Nov. 18, after which the labor grouping will decide on its subsequent course of action.

As per the new announcement, aircraft fuel was to resume shortly at the international airports of Laguna del Sauce (Punta del Este) and Carrasco (Montevideo).

Company authorities and government officials had decided on Monday to import fuel from Argentine to guarantee supply so that airline operations would not be affected.

Nevertheless, a Copa Airlines flight was rescheduled as a result of the conflict. The aircraft that should have landed at Carrasco on Monday to depart a 1.30 am back to Panama remained at the Tocumen Airport out of fear that it could not refuel for the return leg. That decision left some 300 passengers stranded, it was reported. Following Tuesday's announcement, the outbound service was rescheduled for 10.30 pm, according to company sources quoted by Telenoche.

At the time of Tuesday's meeting, the measures were lifted temporarily pending the outcome of the negotiations among Ministry officials Federico Daverede and Fernando Delgado, Ancap's Alejandro Stipanicic and Richard Charamelo, Natalia Belo and Manuel Colina representing Fancap, and Joselo López on behalf of the Pit-Cnt union.

The union is demanding the suspension of the decision of Ancap's Board of to lease the fuel plant at Laguna del Sauce to a private company.

Regarding supply after Tuesday's talks, “a couple of trucks should be arriving in the next few hours,” Charamelo explained.