Striking court workers clash with police in Lima

Record ID: 76157

  • Title: Striking court workers clash with police in Lima
  • Date: 7th December 2016
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COURT WORKER, RENATO JIMENEZ, SAYING: "The court's employees are bleeding massively to call on the government to resolve our pay situation. And we have to announce that with no response we will go on a hunger strike nationally." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 2016 21:16
  • Keywords: Peru Lima demonstration protest tear gas judiciary courts court wokers
  • Location: LIMA, PERU
  • City: LIMA, PERU
  • Country: Peru
  • Reuters ID: LVA0035BVZNER
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Violence flared outside a courthouse in Lima on Wednesday (December 7) as court employees burnt official documents outside and police used tear gas in a protest for a pay increase.
    According to local media, the protest is a culmination of a two-week hunger strike by some employees to demand better working conditions.
    With the protest scene threatening to get out of hand, riot police used tear gas to disperse protesters.
    Still, protesters remained defiant in their demands.
    "What we want is a remunerative scale. And in the current conditions, what we're asking the MEF (Economy and Finances Ministry) for from this legal body is a proposal for an amount that meets the needs of the workers," said protester, Frankie Quiroz.
    According to media, eight people were arrested during the protest and others were left to nurse their wounds outside the courthouse as scuffles erupted.
    The Peruvian government has offered an annual bonus of 4,000 soles (approximately $1,175 U.S. dollars), but employees have rejected the amount as insufficient.
    With some two million court employees nationally, protesters are threatening to take their movement to a national level.
    "The court's employees are bleeding massively to call on the government to resolve our pay situation. And we have to announce that with no response we will go on a hunger strike nationally," said court employee.
    The protest has left many courthouses in Lima closed and with no end in sight, many fear the country's justice system will take a hit.
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