Artists of the National Folkloric Ballet (BAFONA) announce hunger strike – 2024-07-23 04:56:59 – 2024-07-23 05:00:13 – 2024-07-23 05:03:09 – 2024-07-23 05:06:53

Artists from the National Folklore Ballet (BAFONA) announced on Monday that they are beginning a hunger strike, in the context of a labor dispute that has lasted for more than a year.

“As a form of non-violent protest, BAFONA artists will abstain from eating due to the mistreatment and injustices practiced against them, which have violated their human rights, and due to the retaliation by the authorities for requesting that their labor rights be respected,” they said in a statement.

The mobilization will take place at Karen Conolly’s headquarters, Bombero Nuñez 127, Recoleta.

“Our condition is extreme, all the State institutions that are supposed to protect workers or at least respond when their help is requested have been violated. The Labor Directorate, the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Mutual de Seguridad, the President of the Republic, etc. all, absolutely all, have closed their doors to us, saying they cannot do anything to help us,” they denounced.

“This has led us today to having to endure the terrible situation of communicational, labor, etc. isolation in which we are kept, the non-payment of wages without justification, having been removed from our jobs, replacing us after 20 or 30 years of experience in the company.”

They added that “they are trying to corner us and tire us out so that we resign, but we will not do so. This situation is not fair, and much less justifying this violation of the rights of artists, precisely in the ministry created with one of its purposes focused on the protection of these artists. The minister and the undersecretary Noela Salas are determined to make us disappear, just for demanding and urgently stopping the labor abuse that continues to occur within one of the most prestigious artistic companies in Chile.”