Union reports on workers deaths and urgent needs

CTF, the BWI affiliate has sent the latest report from the tragedy in Chile, including the sad loss of union members and the destruction of the homes of many more. Please see our earlier appeal on how you can show solidarity with the workers of Chile.

Report - At 13 days after the terrible earthquake that shook southern Chile, CTF gives the following information on the situation faced by forest workers.

The earthquake recorded at 03:34 hours on the 27th of February 2010, which reached an intensity of 8.8 on the Richter scale, destroyed much of the forest workers' houses, also destroyed the CTF office and caused serious structural damage to the headquarters.

The earthquake and tsunami devastated large coastal areas where the pulp mills and sawmills are located, The mills suffered heavy damage and that will prevent their operation for at least 3 months. The very strong aftershocks have continued to maintain a state of collective psychosis in the population.

So hundreds of forest workers with their families, have fled to the hills and forests looking for safer places to protect themselves and their families from possible further earthquakes and tsunamis.

So far the information we have 5 workers dead, who worked for the company Arauco in different areas, which is the most serious aspect of this earthquake.

Worker deaths:

- Ivan Marcelo Bravo, plant worker Constitution (Seventh Region), who died along with four family members following the collapse of his house.

- Floridor Castro, an employee of the contractor Remanufacturing Cholguán (Eighth Region), died inside the plant.

- Manuel Villegas Torres, an employee of the contractor Sawmill Horcones (VIII Region), also died inside the plant.

- Bravo Ivan Meza, contractor worker Sawmill Viñales Constitution (Seventh Region), died crushed by their homes.

- William Eliseo Velásquez, working for the contractor Forestal Celco (VIII Region), who died in the collapse of its housing.

With regard to workers' homes, we do not have the exact number of homes destroyed, but we have counted so far, more than 100 homes lost.

The most urgent need for workers to have at the moment are:

- Food and water

- Toiletries

- Medicines and clothing

- Tents, sleeping bags and blankets

- Parkas & Footwear

- Housing

As above, we seek urgently to help solve these needs.

The Office of the CTF has been opened (though we still have no potable water, but electricity only) and we enabled a computer with internet for communication and the phone is working normally, We must make quick repairs on the roof and ceiling, the walls, fences and replace furniture, so we can continue our daily work.

We should add that a front is approaching bringing bad weather will worsen even more precarious situation for surviving forest workers.

We call on the trade union movement for solidarity