A strike over pay by dock workers at ports in Ivory Coast has blocked exports of cocoa and coffee since late on Monday, exporters in the world's top cocoa producer said on Wednesday.
"We can't do anything. Everything is blocked. Cocoa and coffee beans are stocked in the depots at the ports and are waiting to be loaded onto the ships," said the director of one international exporter based in the main port of Abidjan. The union of day workers (Sytrajop-CI) called its members out on an indefinite strike on Monday at Abidjan and the western port of San Pedro to demand better working conditions and higher salaries, after talks with employers broke down.
"Our bosses, the port and the government are doing nothing to sort out our situation as they promised they would in January," said union secretary Fidele Dogba.
Lack of rain and hot weather in the West African country have brought an early end to the October-March cocoa mid-crop, meaning port arrivals have been tailing off. But exports are traditionally busy at this time of year as stocks are shipped.