Actualité - Chile Miners Slam Union Busters

Franc-Parler reproduit une dépêche sur la lutte des mineurs chiliens d'Escondida la plus grande mine de cuivre du monde. Les mineurs en grève depuis trois semaines exigent des augmentations de salaires alors que le prix du cuivre atteint des sommets sans précédents. Les dirigeants du syndicat accusent les dirigeants de la compagnie de mener des activités antisyndicales et antiouvrières en tentant de briser la grève par des menaces de licenciements de masse.

Santiago de Chile, Aug 24 (Prensa Latina) - Workers at Chile´s Escondida, the world s biggest copper mine, denounced anti-union activities by the transnational and demanded effective government intervention in the conflict entering its eighteenth day Thursday.

Lawyer Nancy Stwhas, along with the union leaders, charged the giant mining company for disloyal tactics against relatives of the striking miners to force them return to work with threats of mass dismissal.

The document referred to a letter sent to the 2,052 workers, saying they were "free from Monday to negotiate individually with the firm," which the lawyer said could be misleading and cause an incomplete agreement.

Meanwhile, the regional office of the Labor Ministry ruled out the direct participation of the secretary of State Osvaldo Andrade as laborers are demanding, saying that duty corresponds to a regional entity.

But miners criticized that decision and noted this is a national conflict for the big losses it brings to the State.

They also asserted that Escondida, with an output above 3,500 tons of copper a day, accounting for 23.5 percent of domestic production and a significant amount in world levels, refuses to accept their demands not for economic reasons, rather because of ideology.

(Prensa Latina News Agency)