The history of the working class in Chile

  The history of Chile in general

Political struggle of the working class in Chile

Chilean Commuist Leader Indicted for Defamation

Weekly News Update on the Americas, 27 October 1996. She ventured to criticize former dictator Pinochet, who remains head of the army.

6,000 teachers to retire: Teachers' union says pension funding is insufficient

ChilNet extract from El Mercurio, 25 January 1997. Legislation to cover the retirement of 6,000 grade school and high school teachers in 1997, addressing the problem of thousands of teachers each year who are at retirement age but choose not to leave work because of low benefits.

Chile's Unions Push for Labor Clauses in NAFTA

Reuter, 1 March 1997.

Miners attack government

From Workers World, 22 May 1997. Lota coal pit has become focus for contest between labor and President Frei's privatization and free-market policies.

Economic struggles of workers in Chile

Teachers threaten new strike: If Ministry of Education does not provide raises agreed upon

ChilNet extract from La Epoca, 19 November 1996. A month and a half after public school teachers staged one of the biggest strikes in recent history, the union is again threatening to halt work over the payment of salary increases.

Administrative staff strike at state universities: Professors may join them next week

ChilNet extract from El Mercurio, La Epoca, 22 November 1996. Non-academic staff at Chile's 16 state universities initiated an indefinite strike and may be joined by professors next week if the government continues to turn a deaf ear to their concerns.

Strikers Nearly Stop Chilean Hospitals. Forces patients to find emergency care elsewhere

MERGInet News, November 1996. A walkout by paramedics, nurses' aides and ambulance attendants paralyzed public hospitals in Santiago, Chile. Their minimum salary is currently $120 a month, and they seek a 15-percent increase over the next three years.

Teachers set deadline for debt payment

ChilNet extract from El Mercurio, El Diario, 3 February 1997. A deadline on April 30 for the government to take positive steps toward paying off a debt with the teachers from 1981. If the government fails to provide a satisfactory response, the union will consider a national strike similar to the one which it undertook last October.

Minibus drivers

By Daniel Vila, People's Weekly World, 1 November 1997. A 12-hour strike by unionized private minibus owners forced the government to reconsider its plan to impose a change in the rates the drivers charge passengers.

Mushroom workers

From Earl Gilman, 21 November 1997. 500 workers at "Nature's Farm Products (Chile)S.A., owned by an American. Since September 1996 no funds have gone into the pension or health fund. The union has not received dues from the employer since November 1996. And the employer didn't bother to pay the workers in December and January.

Chilean dockers under attack

By Earl Gilman El Nuevo Topo, 31 January 1998. Striking port workers in Valparaiso were threatened by soldiers and naval troops in an action which resembles the Pinochet dictatorship which ruled Chile until recently.

Chile Port Workers

By Earl Gilman, El Nuevo Topo, 6 April 1999. Port workers in three ports protest privitizations which will leave them without jobs or any compensation for loss of their jobs. Most are casuals without any single employer and have no collective bargaining individual contract.

Iquique, Chile, port strike

From the ITF, 26 August 1999. Chilean port of Iquique workers agreed to suspend their strike for seven days in the hope of a final salary agreement. The workers have been on strike for several weeks, following proposals by the shipping companies to slash wages and employ casual workers.