On the day of the general strike, the Chilean bourgeoisie showed their fear when they sent the police to attack the contingents of workers gathered in front of La Moneda, the presidential palace, and the main headquarters of the CUT, which is across the street in downtown Santiago.

“The cops tried to bring the city back to normal, which wasn’t going to happen,” said David Tudela in an August 29 telephone interview. “They were trying to get transportation running and attacked workers with tear gas, water cannons, and clubs.”

Tudela, a member of the Taxi Drivers Union, was among the more than 200 workers arrested during the one-day stoppage. He said workers organized feeder marches from different parts of the city and were joined by supporters, including university students. While the media reported that about 3,000 gathered on Alameda Street in front of the presidential palace, Tudela said he estimated that the crowd exceeded 20,000.

The general strike was called to protest government attempts to pass a more “flexible” labor law, which would allow the bosses to extend the work week beyond the 48 hours allowed under current legislation without paying overtime. This is happening at a time when unemployment is rising. CUT also called the strike to protest the effects on working people of the erosion of social benefits such as health care and pensions that were gutted during the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet and in the aftermath of his rule, which ended in 1990.

In response to the strike, the Chilean Congress announced it will not allow any protest marches on September 11. That day marks the 30th anniversary of the 1973 coup, which overthrew the elected government of Socialist Party president Salvador Allende. During the subsequent military dictatorship, thousands of revolutionaries and other working-class fighters were killed, tortured, or “disappeared.” The government claims it banned the anniversary protests to avoid a repeat of the “violence” during the August 13 stoppage. When asked whether there will be marches and other events commemorating the coup on September 11, Tudela replied, “Yes, we are already distributing fliers. We are presently organizing a main event in front of La Moneda… which is sponsored by the CUT, Federation of Students, and other left groups.”

The government attempts to intimidate the labor movement continued as Judge María Magdalena Pavia opened the case against 38 bus drivers for their participation in the Aug. 12-13, 2002, strike. During that strike some 700 buses were strategically placed on major roads of Santiago and the drivers, members of National Confederation and Union of Transportation Workers (CONATRACH), walke d off in protest. The police arrested more than 675 drivers the next day and confiscated 663 buses. The workers were demanding a set wage instead of the current system in which the driver’s pay is based on the amount of passengers transported per day. Bosses keep track of this by counting the number of tickets sold, which is randomly checked by government inspectors.

On August 13, 2002, the House of Deputies voted to grant bus drivers a set wage.

The government, however, pressed charges against 38 drivers for violating the State of Security Law. The government is also considering filing charges against another 100 drivers accused of “disrupting public peace.” The drivers face sentences of 61 to 269 days.

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos, of the Socialist Party, said in relation to the bus drivers’ strike, “As president of Chile, I am in debt to the 15 million people [who weren’t able to use bus system] and I will not accept the blackmail of a few.”

In a recent CUT congress, attended by 400 delegates from various unions, the federation’s president Arturo Martínez said, “If there is no response to our demands, and if there is a flexible labor law passed in the parliament, you can be sure that there will be another national work stoppage.”  
 
 
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