Chilean Contract Worker Shot Dead During Codelco Strike

A Chilean contract worker on strike was shot dead on Friday during a protest near Codelco’s Salvador mine, Reuters reported. Workers have been on strike for four days, and the Confederation of Copper Workers (CTC) has said that the strike will continue until a new benefits framework agreement is negotiated.
As quoted in the press release:

The Confederation of Copper Workers, or CTC, posted a statement on its website saying that contractor Nelson Quichillao had been shot and killed while protesting near Codelco’s Salvador mine in northern Chile.
The union blamed the shooting on police who had been ordered in to unblock roads.
The national police force said it would make a statement about the shooting later in the day.
The CTC has blocked roads and set up barricades at Codelco projects around the country after contract workers affiliated with the union went on strike Tuesday to demand the right to negotiate a benefits package similar to that offered to direct Codelco employees.
The CTC statement said police arrived at the site of the protest “with the clear intention of repressing, neutralizing and dispersing a legitimate demonstration, in which none of the striking workers were armed.”
The CTC statement said the work stoppage would continue until a new benefits “framework agreement” is negotiated.

Click here for the full Reuters article.