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Photo: Revista Puerto/FIS
Fernando Álvarez 'Sticks the Sword' to SOMU and Seeks Direct Agreement with his Crew to Reactivate the Fleet
ARGENTINA
Friday, May 09, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
- 'If my people accept the proposal, I will ask them to request freedom of action from SOMU and I will take the boats out.'"
- The shipowner-businessman challenges the union's position, seeking the approval of his sailors and the justice system to operate his fleet under new salary conditions.
In a firm statement, Fernando Álvarez, president of Conarpesa, has announced his strategy to overcome the blockade of the United Maritime Workers' Union (SOMU) and reactivate his fishing fleet. In an interview granted to Karina Fernández of Revista Puerto, Álvarez ratified his intention to present the same salary proposals as the business chambers to the Ministry of Labor, but without involving SOMU in the negotiation. His plan is to agree directly with his crews and, with their support, go to the labor authority or the justice system to obtain the approval that allows him to operate his boats under the new salary conditions. Álvarez made it clear that, if he obtains the backing of his workers and legal validation, he will not wait for a general agreement with the chambers to launch his vessels.
Fernando Álvarez was the main driving force behind a recent meeting in Barcelona that brought together more than thirty businessmen in the sector. Although he could not attend in person for health reasons, he led the meeting via Zoom, where it was decided to make a formal presentation to the Ministry of Labor. However, his approach will be different from the rest of the businessmen, as he has chosen not to negotiate directly with SOMU. Instead, he will present his proposal to his crews and, if they approve it, he will seek the validation of the labor or judicial authority to implement it, as he confirmed in the interview with Revista Puerto. For the businessman, the 30% reduction in the production bonus is a non-negotiable condition.
"In my case, I asked that once the statement is drafted, they send it to me, because I have no communication whatsoever with SOMU; the channel of dialogue is completely cut off and I have no intention of reopening it. My only channel of communication is with my sailors, and if they agree, I will ask them to request freedom of action from the union. Then, we will go to the Ministry to follow the corresponding legal steps. After the repeated disrespect, threats, and lies I have been subjected to by SOMU, I have no intention of dialoguing with them," Fernando Álvarez stated categorically.
Photo: Revista Puerto
REVISTA PUERTO: Will this action take place after the chambers and the union reach an agreement?
FERNANDO ALVAREZ: No. I will talk to my crews, I will present the proposal to them, and if they accept it, I will go hand in hand with them to the Ministry of Labor for its homologation or to the justice system, as happened with the boat Marlene del Carmen in Mar del Plata. If the Ministry or the justice system gives me their approval, I will go fishing. Once that legal backing is obtained, I will feel free to operate without waiting for anyone. I imagine that, if I go out under those conditions, no one will object. If the chambers reach an agreement first, we will all go out, but if that does not happen and my crew approves the proposal tomorrow itself, I will launch the boats. I have nothing to agree or talk about with SOMU. My agreement must be with my people, whom I pay the salary, not with SOMU, who are not my employees nor am I a partner of theirs.
RP: Is it feasible to sign agreements between parties without the union's approval?
FA: Of course, agreements can be signed. The logical thing would be for the union to endorse them, but even their endorsement is useless, as was evident in Rawson. We signed with the union delegates of the region, and then Raúl Durdos (general secretary of SOMU) arrived and sought to discredit what his own people had signed. I will go to the Ministry or the justice system to validate that private agreement between the crew and my company. The union can protest, intimidate at the dock, call them scabs as they did in Mar del Plata, but legally it is possible. The labor relationship is between the company and the employees. The unions should limit themselves to ensuring compliance with what the sailors have signed and granting them freedom of action. If my employees agree and the Ministry or the justice system rules that everything is in order, let SOMU appeal to the Supreme Court; we will discuss it later, but the first salary will be paid under the new conditions. If anyone has the right to sue, it is the employee, not the union.
RP: What are the new conditions you are proposing?
FA: The first and most crucial point involves a 30% reduction in the value of the production bonus, which is unalterable. Then there are other issues such as the method of payment of the Christmas bonus, the declaration of seasonal work for the activity, etc. However, for me, the reduction in the production bonus is a sine qua non condition. Once that issue is resolved, the others will be discussed if a dialogue is established between the chambers and the union. But no offer that does not include the 30% reduction in the production bonus will be accepted by me.
RP: Was the sector's position as unanimous as you expected?
FA: Yes, and that is the most noteworthy aspect of the meeting. I observed no doubt regarding the 30% reduction in the production bonus; no one questioned it, no one suggested negotiating. The position was categorical, and that was the point on which all the businessmen agreed. There was also consensus that, if an agreement is not reached, they will not go fishing, because doing so would imply operating at a loss, and no one is in a position to continue losing money.
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