Chile: striking forestry worker killed by cops
May 5 2007 15:24
According to a report on Santiago indymedia, on the night of May third, Rodrigo Cisternas, 26, was shot by police while operating a backhoe on a blockade. The shooting happened as a thousand workers, employed by Arauco, an international forestry and paper company, were protesting after the company refused to negotiate pay raises and other demands.
The police had destroyed personal vehicles belonging to the strikers. In return, Cisternas used his backhoe to destroy two cops cars.
http://santiago.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=639&category_id=1
BWI call for solidarity: New strike at Arauco in Chile by CTF
We have been informed that our affiliate, the National Confederation of Forestry Wrkers of Chile (CTF) has started an indefinite strike at Arauco. The work stoppage started at midnight on the 30th of April as a result of failing to reach agreement on the union’s demand to increase wages by 40%.
"Our demands represent three days of profits for the company," Jorge Gonzalez, president of the CTF said, referring to the results of the company in 2006. Arauco’s sales reached USD 2.85 billion in 2006, making a net profit of USD 619 million or around USD 2 million per day.
The previous strike, on March 11-14 this year, reached a mediated agreement to start a dialogue between the company and the CTF. The parties were given 45 days to settle around the 23 points of improvements demanded by the union. The only outstanding issue concerns salary increases. You will recall our earlier information on this dispute.
"All the points were fulfilled, except for the one of wages," Jorge Gonzalez said, meaning that the offer of 5% from the company was not enough to provide the workers with decent salaries.
http://www.bwint.org/default.asp?Index=819&Language=EN