Business As Usual At Manila Container Terminal

Operations resumed at the Manila International Container Terminal after striking workers cleared barricades preventing entry to the port, a senior Philippine official said.

National Labor Relations Commission chief said the government asked the 90 striking workers of the International Container Terminal Services to clear the barricades on Thursday night and return to work because of the negative effect of the closure of the MICT on the economy.

The MICT handles 70 percent of international container cargo traffic in Manila.

"The strikers complied...so NLRC now has to determine the officers who should represent the union to the ICTSI management for collective bargaining," he said.

A spokeswoman of the ICTSI said: "Since last night there were no more barricades so the port re-opened."

One worker was killed on Thursday when some of the strikers attempted to enter the MICT premises to urge other workers to join the strike.

ICTSI said union members belonging to the Association of Port Checkers and Workers-Local Union barricaded the entrance of the MICT starting on Wednesday to demand collective bargaining with management.