Chile: How the Strike Affects You

When I arrived in Chile, It seemed that almost every day some group was on strike.

What happens when almost all government workers in Chile go on strike? Schools close, border crossing is extremely slow, trash clean up stops.

The national strike gathering spot today and yesterday was Avenida Argentina in Valparaíso. Yesterday alone, 20,000 people gathered to march for higher wages and more work benefits.

So how does this affect you? You'll notice instantaneously the change in Valparaíso. The garbage is everywhere because the waste companies have stopped collecting the garbage. I heard someone comment that it looked like it was snowing because of the thousands of pieces of litter on the ground. You'll find that a few of the ascensores (elevators to climb the hills) are closed. Everything generally has a slow-moving feelings.











The other day I crossed the border between Argentina and Chile (la Aduana) and we spent 3 to 4 hours just at the border crossing.

The strike will continue into tomorrow.