Undersecretary of Economy values agreement that allowed the truckers' strike to be unblocked: "We have transformed a crisis into an opportunity"

This Friday it was learned that the independent truckers of San Antonio, who had kept the port blocked for a week, called off their strike after reaching an agreement with the logistics operators, which will allow many of the transporters' demands to be addressed. Specifically, the regional presidential delegate of Valparaíso, Manuel Millones, explained this day that the agreement includes three main measures: an 8% adjustment in the rates currently received by transporters; that they will be able to organize and apply as bidders for the contracts that companies hold with various transporters in the province of San Antonio; and that the mechanism for adjusting rates will be determined based on the ICT diesel polynomial index which, according to Millones, is an objective indicator compiled daily by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The agreement was welcomed this afternoon by the Undersecretary of Economy, Karlfranz Koehler, who highlighted the government's role in the negotiations. "We have managed to turn a crisis into a tremendous opportunity. Today the porters of San Antonio become direct contractors of the logistics operators. An opportunity for productive linkage, an opportunity for this community of San Antonio," he said. Regarding the formula that allowed the blockade to be lifted, the official stated that "each logistics operator reached an individual agreement with the transport union and, therefore, those agreements are the responsibility and knowledge of the operator and the union." As for the implementation timeline, Koehler indicated that "since they will become direct suppliers, they will have to negotiate their contracts individually with these logistics operators. Some will start right away and others on Monday." He also welcomed the fact that the rapprochement came before the "fruit season," referring to the country's export production. "The operators and the union have been very responsible in not taking hostage the fruit of all Chileans. Now we expect operational normality, with the fruit channeled through the corresponding ports. There is great willingness to serve all importers as quickly and efficiently as possible." Finally, the Undersecretary of Economy highlighted that, in addition, "the porters and small and medium-sized transporters will be able to access a Fogain financing line that we are promoting as a government, a line that will have between 90% and 95% state guarantee, six months of grace and very extended terms, and therefore, as a government, we are creating an instrument that will provide very important working capital and access to working capital for all these small and medium-sized transporters, including the porters here in San Antonio."