Ecuador
declares state of emergency, as Amazon strike worsens
AFP
Quito
Petroleumworld.com
03 09 06
Ecuador declared a state of emergency late Tuesday in the oil-producing
Amazon provinces of Napo, Sucumbios and Orellana to try to stop
a contract
workers strike choking production, the office of the presidency
confirmed
Wednesday morning.
Workers began increasing their numbers outside oil pumping stations
after
the emergency was declared. The arrest of one strike leader Tuesday
also
increased tensions, according to reports from the region.
The approximately 4,000 workers cut Petroecuador's production
to about
132,000 b/d Wednesday compared to its normal level of 200,000
b/d through the
work stoppage. Petroecuador said it expects production to shut
in completely
later Wednesday, according to a press release sent Tuesday.
"They
can declare a state of emergency but they cannot force us to go
back to work," one strike leader who asked not to be named
told Platts via
telephone Tuesday night. "We will radicalize this strike."
However, police used tear gas and clashed with workers to clear
them from
some stations early Wednesday morning.
Although the strike was planned as a 'cautionary' one of 48 hours
to end
at midnight Wednesday, the leader said that it would continue
if the demands
are not met. These include demanding $51 million in overdue pay,
being hired
as regular employees and financial autonomy for Petroecuador.
Administration officials said they hope to end the strike Wednesday.
"The
ministers of labor, energy and the new president of Petroecuador
will travel to the region today with money to cancel the debts,"
Press
Secretary Enrique Proano said in an interview televised Wednesday
morning.
The strike is also affecting the transportation of crude produced
by
private companies shipped over secondary pipelines operated by
Petroecuador,
according to the state company.
For more information, take a trial to Platts Oilgram News at
http://oilgramnews.platts.com.
Platts
03 08 06
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