Chile: National Port Workers' Strike, 15-16 February

bolivia / peru / ecuador / chile | workplace struggles | press release Saturday February 11, 2012 02:46 by Unión Portuaria de Chile

Public statement by the Unión Portuaria de Chile explaining the reasons for the national strike on 15 and 16 February. [Castellano]

1. On 30 January 2012, the Unión Portuaria de Chile, an organization which has a large membership throughout the country, successfully paralyzed the ports of Arica, Iquique, Mejillones Antofagasta, Chañaral, Caldera, Huasco, Coquimbo, Lirquén, CAP, San Vicente, Schwager and Coronel for three hours, as a warning to the Government of Chile to resolve the conflict sparked off by the State's expropriation of part of the dockers' pay via an arbitrary deduction of income tax, and as a response to need to create a Social Protection Network for workers in the ports of Talcahuano, Coquimbo and Arica for the Tender for these Port Terminals.

2. Despite the large mobilization and the heavy economic losses for the mineral and timber exporter monopolies, the Government ignored the just demands of Chile's dockers, to date no meeting has been agreed nor has there been any serious response by the authorities to the need to find a solution to the conflict.

3. This particular situation has forced us to take the drastic step of paralyzing exports from the country for 48 hours on 15 and 16 February 2012, and to point out that if a satisfactory response to our demands is not forthcoming, we cannot rule out a call for an indefinite nationwide shutdown.

4. We call on all port workers to stay on the alert and be prepared for this 48-hour strike. We call on all workers, students and the people of Chile to show their solidarity with this struggle, to help spread news of the strike and be close to the ports during these days.

The struggle to end injustice in this country has just begun.

Unión Portuaria de Chile