Counter Information

Puerto Pobre

An esitmated half million Puerto Rican public sector workers held a 48-hour strike on 7/8 July in solidarity with telecom workers who'd been on strike for a month in protest at the proposed sale of the public telephone company. The biggest industrial action in the country's history stopped all public transportation, led to disruption of the utility services, closed the docks and shopping centres of the capital San Juan, and saw the main route to the international airport blockaded. The 6,400 telecom workers received huge support from other public sector workers threatened with privatisation and job losses - 10,000s gathered outside the telephone company's main offices. With an official unemployment rate of 12% - the true figure is estimated to be nearer 30% - the public sector is one of the few areas which offer job stability.

Since WW2, US capital has profited from various initiatives, including the imposition of Section 936 tax codes which encouraged investment in Puerto Rico by offering corporations virtual tax-free status. The conditions of working class people have, of course, remained unchanged, with more than 60% of the poulation below the offical poverty line. The NAFTA agreement between the US and Mexico has further undermined the island's appeal to foreign capital as a source of cheap labour.

After the exhilarating success of the 'huelga general', the 2 main unions involved - UIET and HEITEL - immediately declared their willingness to negotiate a return to work, shifting the emphasis from fighting privatisation to obtaining a no reprisals deal. The strike petered out with a reduction in pickets and the government still set on the sell-off. Despite the disappointing end, Puerto Rican workers can take heart from the solidarity and militancy shown throughout the strike in the face of considerable police brutality. The telecom workers didn't take long in showing their new-found confidence - 5 minutes into the first shift after returning to work, 100s were back on the streets in protest at repressive management measures, despite lack of support from their union officials.