Politician concerned about union leader black list
The arrival of a courtroom dedicated to labour issues was a fantastic achievement this year for Puerto Montt. Before, when there was only one court to handle every type of case the time it took before a labour infraction case was reviewed could last for months to years. Waiting two years for the outcome of a labour issue was not out of the ordinary. But for labour union leaders, they are startled at the recent efficiency of processing impeachment cases regarding union delegates. Indeed it was a banner year for labour union strikes and protests regarding the salmon industry, and a number of union leaders are accused by their employers for misconduct. The swift speed in which the court has processed and concluded to impeach a number of union leaders from their posts has resulted in a reaction from union leaders to solicit support from the Regional Representative Patricio Vallespìn. “From my point of view as Parliamentarian it appears strange and suspicious, and for this reason I strongly ask of the judges of this court to be especially rigorous in their sentences. Because on the contrary this trend could signify a strategy on behalf of employers to weaken the labour syndicate movement,” stated Vallespìn in a press conference yesterday in Puerto Montt. According to el Llanquihue four union leaders have been impeached through the new court process and there are six more in process for the same outcome. The companies that have filed for impeachment of certain union leaders are Procint, Ventisqueros, Pesquera San Josè, Multiexport, and two other companies not related to the salmon industry.
