Chile: Santiago Subway Workers Go on Strike

Chile's Santiago Subway Union of Professionals and Technicians on Wednesday announced a strike to demand better salaries and reject the existing "null dialogue" with the administration.

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The Union pointed out that the strike responds to the poor leadership of Santiago Subway's Board of Directors, which failed to include the workers as an essential group in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Besides rejecting the disproportionate senior management officers' wages, the protesters condemned the reduction of salaries during 2020, massive layoffs, and labor abuse.

"Today we say enough is enough... We are always open to dialogue but the executives are the ones who have systematically refused to engage in talks," Union representatives said.

The meme reads, "Subway's workers take La Moneda station."

Grouping 1,800 workers from the operation, maintenance, engineering, administration, and corporate services, the Union also held a rally in Santiago Subway's headquarters located at La Moneda station.

The Confederation of Unions of Public Companies (CUSOC) supported the strike and also criticized the management performed by Santiago Subway Board Chairman Louis de Grange.

" We have denounced for several years the serious setback that the current Government has meant for our companies, with anti-union practices, massive layoffs, collective contract reductions, and many other practices that these companies have been suffering systematically," CUSOC noted.