Dive Brief:

• The president of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association is calling for the reinstatement of emergency shifts at the nation's Customs and Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) departments, as strikes by government workers threaten exports.
• Shipments of Chilean fruit are grinding to a halt as ships, trucks and rail cars are being held for paperwork.
• What was supposed to be a 72-hour strike by customs workers last week has been extended by labor leaders, bringing a crisis to the nation's produce industry.

Dive Insight:

This is the sort of thing that gives both organized labor and government workers a bad name. Chile is in the midst of the worst agricultural disaster in generations, as weather problems destroyed nearly a quarter of the fruit crop. Growers and shippers have scrambled in recent weeks to salvage an industry that is crucial to Chile's economy. The idea that any group -- particularly the protected-from-the-market workers of unionized government positions -- would take advantage of such a crisis to push for a pay raise is, in a word, repulsive.