Several members of the national miners union broke windows and forced their way into the Ministry of Labor on Thursday, and reached the fifth floor before police detained them. Outside on Av. Salaverry, police used tear gas to disperse about 100 protestors. Seventeen of the protestors were arrested.
The National Federation of Mine, Metallurgy and Steel Workers of Peru began a general strike on Tuesday this week after unsuccessful attempts to meet with President Martin Vizcarra and industry leaders. According to the union secretary, the federation has been requesting meetings since March and although the Labor Ministry arranged meetings, no mining industry executives attended.
The federation’s main demand is for collective bargaining to seek solutions namely against the government’s recently launched National Competitiveness and Productivity Plan. Several workers unions believe the apportioning of labor benefits will endanger their current positions. The national construction workers federation was successful in recent collective bargaining demands on the same issues.
Lawmakers Hernando Cevallos and Maria Elena Foronda approached the protestors, telling them they had spoken to the minister, Sylvia Caceres, to reestablish talks. Minister Caceres released a statement that talks would resume on Friday providing there is no violence.
