BY JIM McILROY
& ROBYN MARSHALL
LIMA — Thousands of workers marched through the streets here, and in other Peruvian cities, on June 3 to protest against the declaration of a state of emergency by the government of President Alejandro Toledo, and to support the demands of striking teachers and other unionists.
An estimated 20,000 teachers and other workers, unemployed, sacked and retired employees and students rallied and marched in a militant and colourful mobilisation to the centre of the city. Police used tear gas in a provocative attack on the marchers, who had defied official attempts to ban the protest.
The march, which was called by the General Confederation of Workers of Peru, paralysed the city during a five-hour occupation of the streets.
The mobilisation was called exactly a week after Toledo's declaration of martial law, and follows an upsurge of protest which parallels that which rocked the last years of the previous Fujimori regime. Former president Fujimori fled the country in disgrace in the face of corruption scandals and a spiralling political crisis.
Rallies and marches were held all across Peru on June 3, including major cities such at Cuzco, Arequipa, Chimbote and Puno.
The state of emergency had been called after small farmers, who have also been involved in the growing protest movement, blocked highways with trucks, so buses and other transport could not get through, and economic chaos loomed. A student was shot and killed in Puno during protests following the declaration of the emergency.
The protesters were demanding the immediate lifting of the state of emergency, a major change in the economic policies of the government, a cabinet shake-up and a resolution of the demands of striking teachers and other public servants — who have been in the forefront of the struggle to this stage.
Teachers, through their union SUTEP, are demanding a wage increase of at least 25 soles per week (approximately A$12.50). Although SUTEP and the minister of education have reached agreement on a 40-point settlement, implementation of the wage rise is still to be agreed upon.
In addition to the wage demands of teachers and other unionists, workers and small farmers are refusing to accept the neo-liberal economic model being imposed by the Toledo government. In particular, they want to prevent implementation of a new tax system that favours private business over working people.
The unions also want to stop the restructuring of the foreign debt and the abolition of repressive labour laws.
A source of great anger to the Peruvian people is that Toledo receives the equivalent of around US$12,000 per month, while a teacher receives about $200 per month.
While the government has agreed in principle to restructure the salaries of the president and other senior officials, workers and their unions are continuing to demand a radical reduction in government leaders' incomes — and significant increase in the wages of teachers and other sections of the working class.
From Green Left Weekly, June 11, 2003.
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