UPDATE 5-Argentine workers lift grains ports strike

* Gov't ordered unions to negotiate with company bosses

* Labor action disrupted grains exports, halted crushing

* U.S. soy futures turn lower as strike lifted
(Updates market, adds context, fresh quotes)

By Maximilian Heath

ROSARIO, Argentina, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Argentine grains
workers abandoned picket lines on Wednesday after the
government ordered them to lift a strike that delayed shipments
and paralyzed soy-crushing plants.

Argentina's center-left government told unions late on
Tuesday to suspend the week-long strike for 15 days and
negotiate with company bosses who have refused to discuss their
demands for wage hikes.

Strikers downed tools and blockaded plants last Wednesday,
stopping other workers and supplies from entering soy-crushing
plants and export terminals around Rosario, where about 80
percent of the country's soybean oil and meal is produced.

Dozens of boats were unable to load during the strike and
trucks carrying grains from across the country's Pampa plains
were forced to park and wait.

"We've had a long wait because we got here last Tuesday,
it's a relief to be getting back to work," said Gustavo Gual,
39, a trucker bringing wheat from Entre Rios province.

The South American country is the world's top exporter of
soyoil and meal and the No. 3 supplier of soybeans, and the
strike lifted global grains prices even though exports are
light in the weeks leading up to soy harvesting.

U.S. soy futures SH1 closed up on Wednesday on strong
demand from China, but gains were limited by the end of the
strike. [ID:nN02273495]

The protest affected export facilities and crushing plants
operated by Cargill [CARG.UL], Bunge (BG.N), Molinos Rio de la
Plata (MOL.BA), Vicentin, ACA, Noble (NOBG.SI) and Louis
Dreyfus.

They operate in the northern Rosario-area ports of Puerto
San Martin, San Lorenzo and Timbues.

"In 24 or 48 hours, the port should start to function
normally. Obviously the companies have the biggest interest in
making sure things get back to normal as soon as possible,"
said Alberto Rodriguez, head of the CIARA-CEC industry group.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

FACTBOX-Argentine grains sector protests [ID:nN25253948]

FACTBOX-Capacity of biggest oilseed crushers[ID:nN31210874]

ANALYSIS-Argentine pay talks loom [ID:nN25191886]

Leading exporters: link.reuters.com/ket72p
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Protesting workers, who include security guards and
catering staff, want the same 5,000-peso ($1,208) minimum
monthly wage secured by soy-crushing workers late last year.
[ID:nN23129014]

The exporters, who dismissed the strikers' demands as
unreasonable, will have to negotiate under the compulsory
conciliation ordered by the Labor Ministry.

If no agreement is reached after 15 days the strikers could
resume the protest, but the government could extend the
conciliation period and exporters will want to resolve the
dispute before harvesting starts.

Analysts say the impact of the strike on booming grains
prices would have been much bigger if farmers had started
gathering soy crops.

Early corn harvesting has started in the world's No. 2
exporter of the cereal but gathering does not start in earnest
for several weeks. Most of the country's soybeans are brought
in in March.

But industry analysts said the strike, which stopped at
least 45 ships from loading, could hurt Argentina's reputation
as a reliable food supplier.

"When the harvest's near and we're about to have grains
pouring into port, it isn't a good sign that a supplier as
important as Argentina has these kind of problems," said
Patricia Bergero, an analyst at Rosario grains exchange.

It also highlights the risk of further labor unrest in the
coming months as workers negotiate pay rises amid double-digit
inflation.
(Additional reporting by Nicolas Misculin and Helen Popper in
Buenos Aires; Writing by Eduardo Garcia;editing by Sofina
Mirza-Reid)
(helen.popper@thomsonreuters.com; +54 11 4318 0655; Reuters
Messaging: helen.popper.reuters.com@reuters.net))