Together with the provincial presidential delegate Paulina Purrán, in Los Angeles, the Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, will hold talks with drivers and owners of trucks belonging to mobilized cargo carriers’ unions —requesting the return of the State of Constitutional Exception— in the Region of Biobio.
The meeting takes place after the Minister of the Interior, Izkia Siches, announced that the Government withdrew the agreement proposal made to the carriers that continued with the blockades on the country’s highways, emphasizing that they will not rule out the application of the Security Law of the State with the requirement to free the roads.
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The government hit the table and withdrew the proposal it had made to the truck drivers for not unblocking the routes, arguing that “everything has a limit.” In response, the truck drivers indicated that, in order to stop the mobilizations on routes, they request that the militarization of the area be resumed.
One of the first to arrive at the meeting was the president of the Federation of Freight Transport Workers, Heriberto López, who, when asked about the dialogue that truckers had had with La Moneda, stated that “the undersecretary was asked to travel to the province so that we can continue advancing in these agreements and that will is what we have to show, a certain reciprocity”.
López added that this is the first meeting in person with authorities from the Ministry of the Interior. “We had not had contact, only what was revealed and internal conversations, which in some way have to do with the possibility of reaching a final agreement,” said the union leader.
“We all understand that, until now, there is no final agreement, but it will be once the law is enacted and we can be sure that our colleagues will be a little safer in their workplace. That is why we have insisted ad nauseam, the government has not given it the urgency it should regarding all the situations that have arisen,” López said.
The leader of the Federation of Freight Transport Workers emphasized that “for us it is a matter of life or death, they shoot at us. So far in the conflict there have already been more than 50 deaths between truckers and Police.”
It is worth mentioning that Route 5 is cut off at the height of Duqueco -in Los Angeles, Bío Bío Region- with a path enabled in each direction of Route 5 for the transit of smaller vehicles, small trucks, buses and transport of goods. essential in general.
The president of Acofarag affirmed that the contractors sat down at the table in a serious and responsible manner, and once they reached the agreement that provided an alternative to the constitutional state of exception, and also, five points that were very favorable for the workers, ” We consider that it was enough and we lifted the strike on Wednesday”.
However, as stated ThirdJosé Hidalgo added that on Thursday they decided to stay at the negotiating table to pave the way for a solution, because the government told them that all parties had to be on board in order to seal the agreement. “Therefore, on Thursday, when this agreement was signed, we considered that it was finished, and we were totally and absolutely in agreement, trusting that the government would fulfill that agreement 100%,” he said.
The issue is that later “some leaders, mainly from truck drivers’ federations, erased with their elbow what they had signed with their hand,” Hidalgo said.
“We are sorry that this agreement has fallen through, because it mainly addressed the issue of safety, insurance (state insurance for truck drivers) and some very favorable conditions for workers, and I think that was lost due to the whim of some people who surely do not have proper leadership to run an organization,” he added.
The contractors’ helmsman indicated that forestry workers and transporters “have to remember that we must be very socially responsible, we cannot cause problems for the community, and sometimes we have to know how to leave on time.”
