In the context of this holiday, a significant mobilization of air passengers is expected, with flights to national and international destinations, estimated at between 700,000 and 800,000 people.
Workers at the Nuevo Pudahuel-Santiago de Chile airport have started a strike this Thursday at 7:00 a.m. local time, which could hinder the transfer of the more than 800,000 travelers expected to pass through the capital's air terminal these days, on the occasion of the start of the Fiestas Patrias in Chile.
The Fiestas Patrias Chilenas, also known informally as 'el Dieciocho', are a Chilean holiday held annually on September 18 and 19. They are celebrated to commemorate the formation of Chile as a nation state independent of the Spanish Crown.
In the context of this holiday, a significant mobilization of air passengers is expected, with flights to national and international destinations, estimated at between 700,000 and 800,000 people.
The strike will last for 30 days, although it could end earlier if both parties reach an agreement. The proposal made by the company was rejected by the unionised workers, which is why they are exercising their right to strike from early Thursday morning.
Specifically, the union requested that workers' salaries be adjusted in line with the CPI, since it has not been updated since 2015, and that the balance of some bonuses, such as lunch or snack bonuses, be increased.
In this regard, it should be noted that employees receive a bonus of 4,000 Chilean pesos (US$ 4.21), but the average price of a meal is 9,200 Chilean pesos (US$ 9.70). The company proposed an increase of 500 pesos (US$ 0.52), which was rejected by the union and was the trigger for calling this strike.
Nueva Pudahuel, the company in charge of managing the airport, has indicated that, in order to protect operational continuity at the airport and mitigate potential impacts on its passengers, a contingency plan will be implemented, drawn up based on an agreement on the qualification of minimum services and emergency equipment.
It is estimated that around 136 employees will stop working during the day, although the union has explained that it does not want to "alarm" people, since it will not prevent flights from taking off.
However, they have announced that there will be demonstrations at the airport terminal. "We are not going to interfere, but we ask people to arrive at the airport at least one hour in advance," explained the president of the union, Juan Prado.
"Let's sit down and negotiate seriously, so they don't come up with an offer at the last minute. Let's sit down and negotiate the needs of the company's workers. We need the voice of the employees to be heard," Prado said.
