Peruvian government attacks public sector workers' rights - state workers respond in the streets
15 July 2013
"The law continues to promote privatization and make the working conditions in the public sector precarious, it is a clear regression of rights," claim our local affiliates.
On 4 July, the General Confederation of Workers of Peru - State confederations CGTP and CITE, CTE and JOIN, organized demonstrations where hundreds of thousands of workers took to the streets across the country to protest the proposed legislation. "Either the government starts talking with workers to change that law, or we continue to demonstrate for our rights," say our affiliates.
In the Latin American meeting "Public Employment and Civil Service," organized by PSI and the Solidarity Center, Carmen Benitez, representative of ILO ACTRAV, reported: "In its recent study presented at the last International Labour Conference, the ILO Committee of Experts was clear: no government can determine how workers should be organized and the method of negotiation has to be respected, allowing the parties to cover all items ...". In other words, she demonstrated the violations of international conventions that the new Act contains.
The PSI will continue to support our affiliates in Peru and requests that letters are sent to the President of the Republic of Peru denouncing restrictions on freedom of association imposed by law, and requesting the repeal of the Act.