Thousands of Chilean public sector employees began an indefinite strike for higher pay today, the latest in a series of protests against the ruling center-left government as inflation runs at a 14-year high.
Workers from public schools, hospitals and prisons waved flags and blew whistles as they marched along major streets in the capital Santiago to demand an immediate 14.5 per cent pay increase.
While saying it was preparing a proposal for workers, the government said the strike - which comes after an estimated 400,000 public sector workers joined a two-day strike last week and paralysed services - was unfair.
The National Association of Fiscal Employees (ANEF) said around the same number of workers had joined today's strike, but there were no independent or government estimates.
Organisers said the strike had partially or fully closed schools, health facilities, garbage collection and customs offices.
Local media reported corpses were stacking up in hospital morgues.
The health ministry said emergency medical services were not disrupted.
"The government wants to make a new offer and we hope all this can be resolved in the course of the day," chief government spokesman Francisco Vidal told local radio. Talks broke down last week.
"In the government's view, this strike is not fair. The discussion is between the government and workers and hundreds of thousands of Chileans do not deserve to have to deal with this today."
Inflation as measured on a 12-month basis hit 9.9 per cent in October, the highest level since 1994 and more than three times the central bank's 12- to 24-month target rate of 3.0 per cent.
Reuters