Trade unions representing workers for Chile's state-run miner Codelco have called on their members to mobilize in support of protests against the government.
Union No1 for Codelco's Chuquicamata has joined Sindicato No1 for BHP's Escondida in backing protestors, whose opposition to inequality in the country has escalated into alleged looting and arson, and to violent confrontations with the military.Codelco's Union No2 said that it could participate in a national strike, while Union No3 also criticized the recent increase in public transportation fares and other action taken by the federal government, but did not say that it might strike.While sound macroeconomic management has placed Chile on a solid economic footing, the challenge remains of how to raise productivity, improve global competitiveness and reduce inequality.According to a recent report for the Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD), Chile's income inequality gap is more than 65% wider than the OECD average, with one of the highest ratios between the average income of the wealthiest 10% of its population and that of the poorest 10%.But a...