Strike Causes Fuel Shortage in Argentina

Argentina's state-run energy company YPF said on Thursday an open-ended strike by oil workers in the province of Mendoza was causing a shortage of fuel at its service stations there and risked impacting supply throughout the country.

 

Workers are striking due to conflicts within their trade union rather than due to problems with YPF, the company said.

 

They are blocking oil fields and the refinery of Lujan de Cuyo which produces 35 percent of YPF's fuel, equivalent to 20 percent of the country's total fuel supply, it added.

 

"Residents of Mendoza are beginning to feel the impact of this decision in terms of a lack of fuel in YPF's main service stations," the company said.

 

Demand for fuel is high at the moment due to the summer holidays with many Argentines traveling throughout the country.

 

"If workers extend the protest, the situation will get worse and will start to be felt in the agroindustrial production and tourist activity, and it will extend to other provinces that are being supplied by Lujan de Cuyo," YPF said.

 

"It is not logical that they are impacting a company, and an activity that is essential for all Argentines like the production of energy," YPF said.