Santiago

Fax: 562+ 7530505

Ref.: Strike at PROLESUR - OSORNO

Dear Madam,

After a week of paralyzed activities as a result of a strike called by the Prolesur Osorno Workers’ Union pursuant to legal provisions, and with management firmly refusing to grant the just and minimum demands made by its workers, I am writing you on behalf of our 391 affiliated organizations from 124 countries to request that you urgently intervene to steer the parties towards a productive dialogue that will bring a solution to this conflict.

The intransigent attitude of the company –which is a subsidiary of Soprole and therefore of the transnational corporation Fonterra– can only be explained if its intention is to make the workers and the public authorities pay for the failure of the attempted Soprole-Nestlé merger.

An example of this policy of intolerance is management’s refusal to grant the union’s request to provide breakfast for morning shift workers, who must leave their homes as early as 5 a.m. to reach the plant on time. Is Soprole-Fonterra really unable to provide this benefit for 50 workers?

Another example of this attitude is that at the bargaining table the representatives of the company admitted to wage differences between the workers of Osorno and the workers of other plants, but refused to raise Osorno wages to the level of the other wages and to set out a plan to implement such raise.

As you will understand this is a conflict between a powerful transnational corporation and 150 workers from Chile’s interior.

In such an uneven conflict it is up to the state and more specifically to your ministry to act in favor of the weaker party. In this case, refusing to intervene will, in practice, entail acting in favor of the stronger of the two.

In view of this situation, we trust that you will intercede quickly, calling the parties to a dialogue and, if necessary, bringing a just solution.

We will continue monitoring the situation closely, ready to summon at any moment the solidarity of our international network to support the Prolesur Osorno Workers’ Union.

Sincerely yours,

Gerardo Iglesias

IUF Latin American Regional Secretary