- Title: Trash piles up in Santiago as public workers strike
- Date: 11th November 2016
- Summary: SANTIAGO, CHILE (NOVEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS PROFANITY*** VARIOUS OF PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS PROTESTING IN SANTIAGO'S MAIN AVENUE, BLOCKING TRAFFIC WOMAN HOLDING UP MIDDLE FINGERS MORE OF DEMONSTRATION POLICEMEN TRYING TO BLOCK ROAD WATER CANNON BEING LAUNCHED AT PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS AND WATER CANNON A PROTESTER BEING ARRESTED VARIOUS OF WATER CANNON BEING LAUNCHED AT PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PUBLIC HEALTH WORKER, ESTEBAN MATURANA, SAYING: "We will continue on strike as long as the government does not sit down to speak with us. The solution to the conflict is evidently in the hands of the president. She cannot have two discourses, because she has one discourse with the industrial sector, business groups, the rich men of the country, she tells them the country is very well off economically, and to the workers she says the country is in a bad state economically. This, obviously, makes people very indignant, and does not lay the foundations in order to build an agreement which allows us to end this conflict." VARIOUS OF PUBLIC WORKERS MARCHING THROUGH THE STREETS OF SANTIAGO IN FRONT OF THE GOVERNMENT PALACE VARIOUS OF RUBBISH ACCUMULATED OUTSIDE BUILDINGS DUE TO STRIKE BY PUBLIC WORKERS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING AMONG THE RUBBISH ACCUMULATED IN THE STREETS RUBBISH ACCUMULATED IN THE STREETS VARIOUS OF A PUBLICLY EMPLOYED RUBBISH COLLECTOR (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STREET SWEEPER, RAMON GAETE, SAYING: "The rubbish collectors have not come through here. The night trucks have not come because they are on strike. On the one hand it is good for them, what they are asking for is fair. Their salaries have not been raised in a long time. It is good that they demand this, but what is happening is affecting too many people, especially the poorest of us who catch infections because of the rubbish and the rodents that come among all this filth." VARIOUS OF RUBBISH COLLECTED IN THE STREETS
- Embargoed: 26th November 2016 19:17
- Keywords: Chile workers strike demonstration trash
- Location: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- City: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- Country: Chile
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001580466B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: SHOT 2 CONTAINS A PROFANE GESTURE
Chilean police fired water canon at public sector workers protesting on Friday (November 11) during a strike over wages, which has left rubbish uncollected and accumulating in the streets.
Water cannon was fired in an attempt to disperse public sector workers blocking Santiago's main thoroughfare in a protest over the lawmakers' decision to reject a 3.2 percent rise in public salaries.
Several protesters were arrested during the demonstration, and organisers said the strike would continue until a solution was found.
"We will continue on strike as long as the government does not sit down to speak with us. The solution to the conflict is evidently in the hands of the president. She cannot have two discourses, because she has one discourse with the industrial sector, business groups, the rich men of the country, she tells them the country is very well off economically, and to the workers she says the country is in a bad state economically. This, obviously, makes people very indignant, and does not lay the foundations in order to build an agreement which allows us to end this conflict," said public health worker, Esteban Maturana.
The Ministry of Health declared an alert for sanitary conditions in the metropolitan region of the capital Santiago after 13 days of strikes among rubbish collectors.
One of the main concerns is the possible spread of the Zika virus, and measures being discussed include installing 32 metallic "megacontainers" to avoid the accumulation of rubbish in public streets.
"The rubbish collectors have not come through here. The night trucks have not come because they are on strike. On the one hand it is good for them, what they are asking for is fair. Their salaries have not been raised in a long time. It is good that they demand this, but what is happening is affecting too many people, especially the poorest of us who catch infections because of the rubbish and the rodents that come among all this filth," said a local street sweeper, Ramon Gaete. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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