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Forestry Contractors Regret Collapse of Agreement with Government and Blame Truckers' Group: "It was lost due to the whim of some people who lack proper leadership"

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The national president of the Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag), José Hidalgo, lamented tonight the government's announcement to withdraw the proposed agreement with forestry workers and transporters, a situation he blamed on truck drivers for refusing to end their protests in parts of the Southern Macrozone, despite the "favorable" nature of the Executive's proposal.

On Wednesday, transporters received a document outlining a series of commitments from the Executive—accepted by five organizations—and after receiving a letter last night from Interior Minister Izkia Siches, the final condition to end the stoppages, the protests continued this Friday: Route 5 remains blocked at Duqueco—in Los Ángeles, Bío Bío Region—with one lane open in each direction for minor vehicles, small trucks, buses, and essential goods transport.

Those still on strike are members of the Federation of Cargo Transport Workers, who demand the reinstatement of the State of Constitutional Exception in the Southern Macrozone to allow the presence of the Armed Forces due to ongoing violence.

Regarding this, the president of Acofarag told La Tercera that the contractors "sat at the table seriously and responsibly, and once we reached an agreement that provided an alternative to the constitutional state of exception, plus five points very favorable for workers, we considered it sufficient and ended our strike on Wednesday."

However, he added that on Thursday, they decided to remain at the negotiating table to pave the way for a solution, as the Executive indicated that all parties had to be on board to finalize the agreement.

"Therefore, on Thursday, when this agreement was signed, we believed it was over, and we were fully and absolutely in agreement, trusting that the government would fulfill it 100%," Hidalgo added.

However, he later criticized that "some leaders, mainly from truck driver federations, erased with their elbow what they had signed with their hand."

"We regret that this agreement collapsed, as it mainly addressed security issues, (state) insurance for truckers, and some very favorable conditions for workers. I believe it was lost due to the whim of some people who likely lack the proper leadership to run an organization," he added.

In this regard, the contractors' leader stated that forestry workers and transporters "must remember that socially, we have to be very responsible. We cannot cause problems for the community, and sometimes it's necessary to know when to step back in time," he concluded.

Source:latercera.com