On Wednesday afternoon, Manzanillo customs workers again closed the southern access to the port , disrupting the movement of trucking vehicles, arguing that authorities have not responded to their demands.
Just last May 12, customs employees, mostly civilians, blocked this access for nine hours to demand better working conditions , such as:
- Respect for working hours, as workdays have supposedly been extended to 16 continuous hours from Monday to Saturday, with no lunch breaks.
- End workplace harassment. Some employees have been forced to sign their “voluntary” resignations without further explanation from the authorities.
- Likewise, the hiring of more staff and the purchase of computer equipment.
- They are also demanding timely payment of their salaries, as they have experienced unjustified delays.
The National Port System Administration (Asipona) Manzanillo shared a statement this Wednesday stating that access through the north zone and gate 15 continues to operate normally , allowing the entry and exit of vehicles.
“The Asipona Manzanillo, a unit of the Navy, remains vigilant regarding developments and is in communication with the relevant authorities, with the goal of safeguarding the port’s operations and the safety of all those who are part of the port community,” he stated.
For its part, the Manzanillo Port Community (Copoma) , made up of port authorities and users, urged in another statement to “avoid sending units to the southern area of the port of Manzanillo.”
The May 12 demonstration ended at 3:30 p.m. due to an alleged negotiation between the authorities and the employees .
Port authority statistics indicate that just over four thousand trucking units enter the port daily to pick up or unload merchandise.
In terms of tax collection, the Manzanillo customs office is the second most active in the country , behind only the Nuevo Laredo customs office, Mexico’s most important border crossing with the United States.
Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador decided that customs would be managed by military or naval personnel (in the case of port customs), although since the beginning of this year, the leadership of the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) has been held by Rafael Marín Mollinedo , a civil servant close to the ruling Morena party.
Just last April 15, it was announced that Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez was appointed to head the Manzanillo customs office, the second-highest in revenue collection in the country.
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