Protestation au Pérou

SHOWS: LIMA, PERU (MAY 19, 2015) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS LED BY MINERS CARRYING PROTEST SIGNS AND PERUVIAN FLAGS AS THEY MARCH THROUGH DOWNTOWN LIMA 2. DEMONSTRATOR WEARING A RED MINING HELMET SHOUTING IN SPANISH, "IT''S [PERUVIAN PRESIDENT] OLLANTA ]HUMALA]''S FAULT THE MINERS ARE IN THE STREET" 3. MORE OF DEMONSTRATION LED BY MINERS 4. MEMBERS OF A MINING UNION MARCHING WITH A BANNER READING, ''NATIONAL MINERS'' STRIKE'' 5. CLOSE-UP OF DEMONSTRATOR WEARING A GAS MASK 6. LINE OF POLICE HOLDING SHIELDS WATCHING THE DEMONSTRATION 7. VARIOUS OF THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL MINING FEDERATION, RICARDO JUAREZ, BEING ESCORTED TO THE CONGRESS BUILDING TO SPEAK 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL MINING FEDERATION, RICARDO JUAREZ, SAYING: "The reason (for the demonstration) is the government''s failure to solve the miners'' problem. The miners have been complaining for more than a year and a half. It isn''t just some fluke from right now. We have been raising a number of complaints on the abuses of the business leaders against the workers. We''ve been calling for the repeal of law 29245 which is a one-sided (against) contract workers, but the government turns a blind eye." 9. UNION LEADERS MEETING WITH CONGRESSMAN SERGIO TEJADA AT THE CONGRESS BUILDING 10. UNION LEADERS LEAVING THE CONGRESS BUILDING 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNION BOSS, JULIO ORTIZ, SAYING: "Mostly the multinational (companies), which are earning millions of dollars thanks to the effort and sacrifice of the workers. And all we want is for labour rights to be respected. No more fraudulent contracting at workplaces which meet 0.5 percent of retirement for miners which is a fund for a miner when he leaves." 12. MORE OF DEMONSTRATION AND POLICE IN THE AREA STORY: Over 400 miners marched through the streets of Lima on Tuesday (May 19) as an indefinite national strike entered its second day. However, production at Peru''s largest copper mines continued largely unaffected despite the presence of miners marching through the capital city. Many workers declined to lay down their tools for fear of losing their jobs. Walk-outs at some mines, however, might have curbed silver, tin and iron output, according to union groups. Peru is the world''s third biggest copper, silver, zinc and tin producer and the seventh-ranked gold producer. The strike, organised by the National Mining Federation that represents about 20,000 workers, aimed to press the government to tighten restrictions on firings and the use of contract workers. One of the main sticking points the union groups have called for is the repeal of the 2008 law 29245 which regulates contract workers. Union groups say that because of the law, mining companies are able to hire contract workers and can avoid meeting certain labour rights as they are not on their payrolls. The head of the National Mining Federation, Ricardo Juarez, said the government of Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has not done enough to address their concerns. "The reason (for the demonstration) is the government''s failure to solve the miners'' problem. The miners have been complaining for more than a year and a half. It isn''t just some fluke from right now. We have been raising a number of complaints on the abuses of the business leaders against the workers. We''ve been calling for the repeal of law 29245 which is a one-sided (against) contract workers, but the government turns a blind eye," Juarez said. Plans for an ambitious work stoppage across Peru were upended after the government declared the strike unfounded and companies threatened to dismiss strikers or ordered contract workers to fill in, according to Juarez. Union boss Julio Ortiz said the policies used by mining companies are unfair to workers as they do not pay into pension funds. "Mostly the multinational (companies), which are earning millions of dollars thanks to the effort and sacrifice of the workers. And all we want is for labour rights to be respected. No more fraudulent contracting at workplaces which meet 0.5 percent of retirement for miners which is a fund for a miner when he leaves," Ortiz said. There was a large police presence as the demonstrators made their way to the congressional building in downtown Lima, but the protest remained mostly peaceful.