BlueLink Workers Initiate Strike Over Negotiation Stalemate

Original article: Trabajadores de BlueLink paralizan funciones por falta de avances en negociación

On Friday, November 14, the union representing workers at BlueLink International Chile, a call center serving airlines Air France and KLM, commenced a strike after failing to reach agreements with management.

In a statement, the Bluelink Santiago Union reported that after weeks of negotiations, the company’s administration refused to offer improvements during the current collective bargaining process. With over 130 votes in favor, they decided to initiate the strike action.

The statement emphasizes that the union has prioritized dialogue and avoided confrontation, even postponing the strike vote to allow for additional discussions. However, they have not achieved any concrete progress.

The union comprises agents, product experts, and supervisors from ten departments in Santiago, managing over 6,300 daily bookings for Air France and KLM, including services for Platinum, VIP, and group clients. A strike could potentially disrupt services for over 53,000 passengers daily.

Furthermore, the statement notes that many of the proposals put forth by the union do not incur additional costs for the company and aim to ensure compliance with current labor laws. These include allowing telework on days with high risk of protests and ensuring the fair application of basic rights already recognized by law. Nevertheless, these requests have been consistently rejected, the document states.

“The company’s refusal to even consider low-cost measures or those mandated by law jeopardizes both the welfare of the workers and the quality of service provided to thousands of passengers,” union representatives declared.

The union president, Javiera Nicolaides González, stated that they were always willing to negotiate and made concessions on several points, but the company refused to increase the base salary, which was their primary demand. She explained that they even offered to conclude the agreement with a total increase of $90,000 over three years, in addition to legally mandated bonus adjustments and minimal improvements in administrative days and variable salary targets. She emphasized that variable salary is crucial as many workers earn minimum wage, which currently does not adjust for leaves, vacations, or training, creating labor tensions. Despite their willingness to compromise, the company made no concessions.

The union leader explained that a critical moment arose when the company proposed a $100,000 end-of-negotiation bonus for the entire workforce, an action deemed openly anti-union and illegal. The mediator even asked both parties to leave the room to address the negotiating commission for such a proposal, and even the company’s lawyer appeared uncomfortable with it. Nevertheless, the company persisted in this proposal, which the union interpreted as an intention to force a strike and attempt to exhaust the workers, treating them as expendable.

Additionally, she pointed out that after the incident, the company sent an email blaming the union for the situation, accusing them of unwillingness to negotiate. The company has also been distributing mass emails to discredit the process, leading some workers to refrain from joining the union out of fear of potential retaliation.

In their statement, they reiterated their willingness to engage in dialogue and their desire to reach an agreement that benefits both the workers and the company.

“It would be unfortunate for this process to impact our colleagues, the passengers, or the reputation of Air France/KLM due to the local administration’s lack of willingness to reach an agreement,” they added.

Finally, they reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the International Labour Organization’s standards for Decent Work, seeking fair, safe, and dignified working conditions for all employees representing Air France and KLM in South America.