28-3-2024 Since February 5, 1,800 workers at Spanish stainless-steel manufacturer Acerinox, located in the town of Los Barrios in the province of Cádiz, have been on indefinite strike. The strike has led to disruptions and involved blockades, including of major highways and at the port of Algeciras, one of the busiest transshipment hubs in the world.
The heroic 50-day strike has lost the company almost 1,200 tonnes per day of production and over €3.5 million ($3.80 million) over the last four weeks. Coupled with the strikes of 1,700 workers in Finland’s stainless steel producer Outokumpu since December 2023, in opposition to the government's reforms of the labour market and cuts to social welfare, the stoppage is heavily impacting the European stainless steel market. Several million tons of melt shop capacity have been blocked and prices for stainless cold rolled coil are increasing. There are also reports of stainless steel shortages across Asia.