Workers take over San José Hospital facilities

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SANTIAGO. -  Some 300 workers of the San José Hospital have taken over the medical center to demand better salaries and more transparency about the appointment of management positions. 

“We are protesting for better salaries, for respect for workers and to speak out against the political favoritism that exists at the hospital, which is the institution’s main problem”, stated protest leader Luis Morales.

“There are department heads that were given their positions based completely on personal contacts.  The administration has said that, in order to make management more transparent, various candidates would be allowed to petition the positions, and this has not happened”.

The protesters are also demanding their salaries be raised to 300 thousand pesos as well as a pension incentive of 20 million pesos, not 3 million as they are scheduled to receive.

The demonstration began with the protesters taking over the facility´s management offices.  Later, the workers made their way to the adult Emergency Room, where they set up barricades.

Special Police Forces arrived at the scene around 10:00 AM to break up the demonstration and take down the barricades.