[NYTr] Workers take to the streets in Chile

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

[September 11 marks the 34th anniversary of the 1973 atrocious, brutal
US-backed military coup against the elected Allende government in
Chile, and the long night of the Pinochet dictatorship.  September is
always an eventful month in Chile. -NY Transfer]


Workers World - Sep 13, 2007 issue
http://www.workers.org/2007/world/chile-0913

Workers take to the streets in Chile

By Jaimeson Champion

On Aug. 29, hundreds of thousands of workers took to the streets of
Santiago, Chile, to protest neoliberal economic policies and demand
wage equality, better pensions, and greater access to healthcare and
education.

The demonstrations were billed as a “National Day of Action,” and were
initiated by the largest federation of trade unions in Chile, known as
United Workers Central. Simultaneous demonstrations in other cities and
towns across the country were also attended by hundreds of thousands of
union members and their supporters, and included union organizing
activities in addition to street protests.

Central among the issues raised by the workers at the demonstrations
was the issue of wage inequality. In many Chilean industries it is not
uncommon for a supervisor to earn more than 200 times the wage of the
average worker. In the mining industries, particularly copper, profits
have soared by double digit percentages over the last decade yet wages
for most workers have remained stagnant. Demonstrators condemned the
practice of subcontracting in the mining industries, which is
essentially a way for the capitalists to avoid providing workers with
health insurance and other benefits.

The demonstrations also denounced the neoliberal economic policies that
the imperialist powers have attempted to force on the countries of
Latin America for decades. These policies include greater privatization
in key industries, the opening up of markets to the imperialist powers,
and strict limits on spending for social programs. In many instances,
the U.S. has made emergency aid and loan packages conditional on Latin
American countries implementing these policies.

Demonstrators asserted that these neoliberal policies have helped to
enrich foreign corporations and the Chilean oligarchy at the expense of
Chilean workers. They demanded that the government focus on the needs
of Chilean workers instead of the predatory desires of the imperialist
corporations.

The huge demonstrations in Chile are yet another indication of the
growing resistance to neoliberalism that is surging across Latin
America. Workers across Latin America are bringing to the forefront the
fact that neoliberalism and free market economic policies have brought
misery and suffering upon the masses while fattening the pockets of the
imperialist corporations. An increasing number of governments in Latin
America are shunning these policies. Governments in Venezuela, Bolivia,
and Ecuador are in open revolt against neoliberalism and imperialism.

The demonstrators in the capital city of Santiago endured the violent
tactics of the infamous Chilean riot police. The police lived up to
their reputation for brutality by launching volleys of tear gas and
firing water cannons into the crowds of demonstrators. More than 200
demonstrators in Santiago were injured. The police unwarrantedly
arrested more than 700 demonstrators.

Despite the unprovoked violence and arrests perpetrated by the police,
the countrywide demonstrations were heralded by many labor leaders as a
huge success and an indication of the growing movement for fundamental
economic, social, and political change that is sweeping across Chile.

The demonstrations come on the heels of huge student protests last
year, where students occupied and took control of 13 schools in
Santiago, and a series of strikes initiated by subcontracted mine
workers that have shown the ability to effectively cripple production
in the mines.

The increasingly militant stances taken by the unions and students are
indications that the endless promises of reform offered up by Chilean
politicians over the past few years have worn thin. Chilean workers and
students are taking to the streets in growing numbers to demand
fundamental change, not token reform. Articles copyright 1995-2007
Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article
is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is
preserved.

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