Post by RedFlag32 on Jul 4, 2007 12:30:58 GMT
<http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070703-0650-bolivia-mine-strike.html>
LA PAZ – Miners at Bolivia's biggest tin mine, Huanuni, have started
a strike and thrown up road blocks to press the government to
consolidate the nationalization of the mine, a union leader said
"We're going to maintain the strike and road block until the
government complies with the development plans for the mine and
throws out the cooperative (independent) miners for good," union
leader Carlos Zambrana said.
Local radio said the Huanuni miners downed tools late on Monday
and set up at least two blockades on a main highway in the South
American country, but it was not immediately clear how mine
operations would be affected.
The mine, which lies in the Oruro region some 160 miles (257 km)
south of the country's administrative capital La Paz, produces about
10,000 tons of tin-in-concentrate per year.
The protest followed a day of increased tension at the mine after
several hundred unemployed independent miners gathered to stage
their own protest, demanding the government give them new sites to
mine.
The independent miners used to work in Huanuni, but they have been
jobless since the state mining company Comibol took control of the
site some eight months ago.
President Evo Morales gave Comibol full control of Huanuni after
violent clashes killed 18 people last year when independent miners
and state-employed miners fought for control of the site.
In a deal with the government, at least 3,000 of the independent
miners became regular employees of Comibol, but hundreds refused
to join.
Traffic police chief Ramiro Antezana told reporters at least 1,000
miners were manning the road blocks near the highland city of Oruro.
LA PAZ – Miners at Bolivia's biggest tin mine, Huanuni, have started
a strike and thrown up road blocks to press the government to
consolidate the nationalization of the mine, a union leader said
"We're going to maintain the strike and road block until the
government complies with the development plans for the mine and
throws out the cooperative (independent) miners for good," union
leader Carlos Zambrana said.
Local radio said the Huanuni miners downed tools late on Monday
and set up at least two blockades on a main highway in the South
American country, but it was not immediately clear how mine
operations would be affected.
The mine, which lies in the Oruro region some 160 miles (257 km)
south of the country's administrative capital La Paz, produces about
10,000 tons of tin-in-concentrate per year.
The protest followed a day of increased tension at the mine after
several hundred unemployed independent miners gathered to stage
their own protest, demanding the government give them new sites to
mine.
The independent miners used to work in Huanuni, but they have been
jobless since the state mining company Comibol took control of the
site some eight months ago.
President Evo Morales gave Comibol full control of Huanuni after
violent clashes killed 18 people last year when independent miners
and state-employed miners fought for control of the site.
In a deal with the government, at least 3,000 of the independent
miners became regular employees of Comibol, but hundreds refused
to join.
Traffic police chief Ramiro Antezana told reporters at least 1,000
miners were manning the road blocks near the highland city of Oruro.