Chile’s Salmon Industry Outlasts Striking Workers

CHILE - Four hundred and fifty striking workers at AquaChile voted Monday to end their two-week strike, which had reduced production at Chile’s largest salmon plant by an estimated 40 percent. While company officials acknowledged the strike resulted in significant losses, they have not yet indicated an exact figure.

The strikers were mostly female processing line workers who were physically and financially exhausted by their strike effort. Facing the prospect that AquaChile would hire scab labor on Tuesday to replace them, as permitted under Chilean law, they voted to accept the company’s final salary offer at press time - a base salary of 107,000 (US$200) pesos plus a 4,000 peso yearly increase. The striking workers will also receive a $125,000 peso (US$230) ‘end of conflict’ bonus.

Salmon farming is one of Chile’s most dynamic new export industries, with exports of US$1.7 billion in 2005. Based primarily in Puerto Montt, the industry has brought enormous international investment to southern Region X and unprecedented economic growth.

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Source: The Santiago Times

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