A commission headed by the Vice Minister of Work, Labor Development and Cooperatives, Adalberto Rojas, arrived in the city of Cochabamba to resolve the conflict made evident by the hunger strike called “for work stability and respect to workers” by leaders of the General Factory Workers Federation of Bolivia, the Federation of Factory Workers of Cochabamba and former leaders from the Manaco union.

After a visit from the commission to the Departmental Labor Directorate, the hunger strike and Manaco managers, a satisfactory solution is yet to be reached for the factory workers on strike.

“We have come up against a legal wall in this governmental attitude, such as we had never encountered in other governments, whether neoliberal or military,” compañero Olivera says.

The actions of the Ministry of Labor officials raised many concerns, as the lack of pertinent and truthful information to their superiors by the Departmental Labor Director for Cochabamba, Alberto Ovando, should be added to fact that the full board of the commission met with Manaco management on premises of the Chamber of Industry of Cochabamba, an act that left a lot to be desired from officials who are in charge of defending workers and their rights strictly and without limitation.

Some of the striking factory workers on their tenth day
© Boris Ríos Brito for UB

Several of the striking workers expressed their disagreement with the policies applied in the labor area by the Morales government and urged officials not to defend the neoliberal model and its consequent labor flexibilization; the change should be seen in specific events with dignity and respect for the workers, they added.

As an almost desperate measure they retained the authorities until reaching an agreement; this appears to be the only way to be heard.

The unresolved conflict forced Vice Minister Rojas to commit himself to find solutions immediately this 10th of July, for which he had to give up his plans to return to the city of La Paz in a flight scheduled for the end of the afternoon Wednesday the 9th.

The strike is still on and will continue until a solution is reached for the lack of protection and abandonment suffered by workers in Manaco, the striking workers indicated.