Chile: After 32 days of strike, the conflict in Alto Maipo ends
After 32 days of strike led by 1,000 workers hired by Hochtief, the local union SINTEC – member of the BWI affiliate in Chile: FETRACOMA – and the local management of the German multinational company reached a "partial" agreement that puts an end to the strike and guarantees the payment of 70% of the wages fallen to striking workers; payment of nine days of vacations of 15 days entitled to workers a year, and the payment of $50,000 chilean pesos to each worker who participated on the strike as result of the conflict.
The agreement also includes a financial compensation that can will be used to support workers on social and financial crisis due the intense and long battle for their rights. In addition, SINTEC/FETRACOMA managed to have four permanent trade union delegates at the project with salaries guaranteed in the Agreement.
Another aspect that highlights the agreement is that all types of dismissals and persecution of workers on strike will immediately stop.
A pending aspect that will be negotiated on January 2017 will be the re-employment of dismissed workers and salary adjustments for every professional category, as it was required by the local union since the beginning of the conflict. In this regard, Jorge Hernández, President of SINTEC and FETRACOMA, asked to BWI to follow up the resumption of negotiations with an "reach" mission with the participation of the German BWI affiliate IG-BAU, the signatory union of the International Framework Agreement between Hochtief and BWI.
Hernández thanked to BWI for every mobilization action and for the support of another BWI affiliates who sent solidarity letters to SINTEC-FETRACOMA protesting on the situation to Hochtief. The regular working activities will be restarted on Wednesday, December 7th. IG-BAU from Germany will host a meeting with the company Executive Directors in order to follow up on the "partial" agreement signed between SINTEC and Hochtief in Chile.