November 9, 2007

Civil Construction workers let go from Doe Run Peru protested for the 5th day in a row in La Oroya.

The 60 workers who were recently let go protested in front of Doe Run demanding there reinstatement according to Raúl Rojas of the Civil Construction Union.

Two-hundred others were let go by the company during 2007. Some of them had been working for the company for over 13 years. “We are asking that these individuals be allowed to work, as the law demands, and in accordance with the information provided to us by the Ministry of Labor,” said Rojas.

Nazario Flores, the lawyer representing the workers, said there were various abuses of the workers rights. Many workers who were let go were made to work informally in the productions process in April during the strike that arose because the workers utilities did not reflect the record breaking profits of Doe Run Peru because of high copper prices in the global market.

The current protest is to ask the company to incorporate workers into the formal plan that allows them to have all the rights of those with contracts. Carhuapoma of the Metallurgical Workers Union said, “The platform is the same as in April: the formalizing of contracts, just pay for profit sharing, and better salaries.”