general strike in Chile
translation/fwd | 15.08.2003 08:39 | Globalisation | Repression | Workers' Movements | World
But, although the CUT has a high level of support particular in the area of transport, the resonance was not quite overwhelming.
A translation of an article about a demonstration in Santiago de Chile from Indymedia Chile + Indymedia Germany.
water cannons in front of the CUT
strike against 30 years of economical dictatorship
and so on
a destroyed bus
demonstration at the day of the general strike
In the Avenida Espana corner Alameda (about 11:25), a micro (bus) of the Green blocked the street and heated up the minds. Slogans against the "police" and first masked up faces.
In Cumming corner Alameda, more radical groups take the street Alameda in northern direction, begin to erect barricade and to spray graffiti. A cctv camera (symbol of law and order) is attacked. A couple of "miguelitos" (nails) on the ground, much water, but everything is calm again, the people of the CUT are behind and don't want to know anything of the other groups.
At the Plaza los Heroes the number of demonstrators has already grown to some thousands, everything is very calm, the demonstration from the northern zone at (street corner Independencia / Recoleta) arrives. The silence is only of short duration, barricades and repression, much police, a "zorillo" (police vehicle for tears gas) blinds me and another comrade of indymedia for a moment, a car burns for a couple of moment and apparantly in a side-street a "zapatilla" (prisoner transport vehicle) was attacked in the same manner. Multiple explosions.
The demo arrives at the headquarters of the CUT, barricades are erected in the Alameda and the nearby streets. Two "guanacos" (water cannon) approach in front of the CUT, much police, tears gas granades, batons, etc. The demonstrators withdraw further west each time and to the nearby streets. Permanent clashes, that barricade at the corner Amunategui Alameda are removed by the police, further barricades are erected, but they all suffer the same fate. The CUT offices is under siege, many people inside, "pacos" try to penetrate, however they withdraw because of stones and various objects, many arrests, and much water, police lines on both sides, maybe pretending to raid? About 5 green micros surround the zone, the press is runnning in front of the ZentralBandejon while many people in the zone are surrounded.
After a couple of minutes, the people come individually out of the labor union office and thereby everything is getting calm again.
The "third commissariat of Santiago", reports about 140 arrests, who are released gradually from 18:30 onwards, but not everyone has the same "good luck", because 2 of them are handed over to the military courts with the accusation "tried destruction of a ... police bus" , apparantly this strike was much more protest than anything else, which shows, that the CUT has not the dominance regarding the representation and defense of the interests of the workers, that it claims to have.
More Pictures: [1, 2, 3]
coordination for translations;
more information: Imc Chile.
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newspaper article about the general strike in Chile
19.08.2003 08:47
Friday, 15 August 2003
Mercosur Thursday, 14 August
The first general strike in Chile since the restoration of democracy was deemed a success Wednesday by labor unions, although the government labeled it a failure.
At least 200 people were arrested, two people were injured and serious damage to public and private property resulted from the day's confrontations.
Protests were held in Santiago, Arica, Iquique, Talca, Valparaiso, Concepcion, Temuco and Valdivia, where serious confrontations with police occurred, authorities said.
Strikers protesting the government's economic model and demanding greater respect for labor rights blocked streets and damaged some commercial centers.
The day's activities began early with attacks and minor incidents that intensified after midday, when downtown Santiago became the scene of a half dozen demonstrations infiltrated by groups of hooded protesters who clashed with police.
As of mid-afternoon, more than 100 people had been arrested in Santiago and other cities, according to police officials.President Ricardo Lagos said he was concerned about the incidents and the damage his country's image had suffered worldwide.
"They say the cities are functioning normally, that people and cars can move freely on the streets, but you can see that's not so. Movement of pedestrians and vehicles was down by 80 percent," said Martinez, who like Lagos and Insulza belongs to the Socialist Party.
The strike was supported by the Catholic Church, whose workers' vicar, Ignacio Muñoz, said social discontent "is undeniable," mainly because of long-standing unemployment, which is at 9.1 percent, "and profound instability in the job market."
CUT organized the general strike - the first since 1986 during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet - to protest the existing free-market economic model and
demand respect for workers' rights.According to union leaders, the strike was heeded by
all public school teachers and civil service employees, 90-95 percent of health workers and 92 percent of municipal employees. Authorities said government services, as well as medical care offered at public hospitals and clinics, were unaffected by the nationwide strike.Education Minister Sergio Bitar estimated that 68 percent of teachers and 23 percent of students attended school Wednesday.According to the results of a survey of members of the Association of Manufacturing Exporters, absenteeism in the private sector totaled 13 percent.
Early Wednesday morning, strikers blocked some streets leading to downtown Santiago and in the provinces barred access to large copper mines.
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