Garbage collectors hold unusual protest in front of La Moneda

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SANTIAGO. -  Garbage collectors held an unusual protest this morning outside of the Governmental Palace La Moneda in front of the “Plaza de la Ciudadanía” where they unloaded a truck full of waste in a public thoroughfare. 

The workers stood on top of the mountain of trash to wave banners demanding the creation of a law to grant them job stability.

After a few minutes, at least 10 protesters were arrested by Special Police Force officers who arrived at the scene in two buses.

The garbage collectors say that the government has not kept its promise to implement a legal initiative to improve basic hygienic conditions and create minimum labor regulations. 

The leader of the San Joaquín waste-collectors labor union, Carlos Arias, affirmed that the protests will continue if their working conditions do not improve and their salaries (which currently fluctuate between 70 thousand and 120 thousand pesos) are not raised.