Djehuti
19th August 2006, 14:35
The biggest copper mine in the world, La Escondida in Chile, have after two weeks of escalating conflict been totally closed down by the workers.
The situation is violent and chilean riot police have been called in by the cooperation when the workers have defended themselves by chasing away strikebreakers. The last days chilean television have shown mine workers valiantly defending themselves against the violent chilean police forces and strikebreakers. At the moment neither neither nor police have succeded in breaking through the workers blockades around the mine. In media pictures are shown of workers celebrating their success.
During the conflict over 2000 workers have gone on strike and the docks (among other places) have been barricaded by workers to force the cooperation to share their profits.
Behind the conflict stand the multi-national cooperation BHP Billton from Australia, who, despite huge profits the last years, refuses to give the workers higher bonus and wage. This year alone the price on copper have increased with 79%.
When the present collective agreement was conclude in 2003, the international copper price was but a fifth of todays price. Remarkably enought is that Chile only takes 3% in taxes of cooperations for taking copper out of the country while the international standard is at 15%, which together with the low wages and the huge profits makes La Escondida to one of BHP Billtons largest sources of income.
The mine cooperation looses approximately 2-3 million dollars each day, and thats the price they have to pay when they stand against the interest of the working class.
When the mine closed down in strike it effected the stock market all over the world, the price of copper rised with 180 $ a ton, a significiant increase with 2,5% all over the world.
Capitalists all over the world now wishes that the chilean riot police will break through the blockades and smash the working class resistance, because the strike treatens the metal stock market in London, and is inspiring for resistance all over South America, a continent that have for long been characterized by ravaging of capitalists and multi-national cooperations, and can be tracked back to when South America was ruled by military dictatorships under the protection and guidance of the United States. Old systems that now is beeing questioned and fought al over South America, and there the mine workers in La Escondida shows that nothing is impossible. Despite almost no symphaty actions or political mobilizations the workers alone have stand against the riot police, cooperations and strikebreakers and sent ropples all over the multi-national capitalism.
The situation is violent and chilean riot police have been called in by the cooperation when the workers have defended themselves by chasing away strikebreakers. The last days chilean television have shown mine workers valiantly defending themselves against the violent chilean police forces and strikebreakers. At the moment neither neither nor police have succeded in breaking through the workers blockades around the mine. In media pictures are shown of workers celebrating their success.
During the conflict over 2000 workers have gone on strike and the docks (among other places) have been barricaded by workers to force the cooperation to share their profits.
Behind the conflict stand the multi-national cooperation BHP Billton from Australia, who, despite huge profits the last years, refuses to give the workers higher bonus and wage. This year alone the price on copper have increased with 79%.
When the present collective agreement was conclude in 2003, the international copper price was but a fifth of todays price. Remarkably enought is that Chile only takes 3% in taxes of cooperations for taking copper out of the country while the international standard is at 15%, which together with the low wages and the huge profits makes La Escondida to one of BHP Billtons largest sources of income.
The mine cooperation looses approximately 2-3 million dollars each day, and thats the price they have to pay when they stand against the interest of the working class.
When the mine closed down in strike it effected the stock market all over the world, the price of copper rised with 180 $ a ton, a significiant increase with 2,5% all over the world.
Capitalists all over the world now wishes that the chilean riot police will break through the blockades and smash the working class resistance, because the strike treatens the metal stock market in London, and is inspiring for resistance all over South America, a continent that have for long been characterized by ravaging of capitalists and multi-national cooperations, and can be tracked back to when South America was ruled by military dictatorships under the protection and guidance of the United States. Old systems that now is beeing questioned and fought al over South America, and there the mine workers in La Escondida shows that nothing is impossible. Despite almost no symphaty actions or political mobilizations the workers alone have stand against the riot police, cooperations and strikebreakers and sent ropples all over the multi-national capitalism.