Labour disputes: during 2021 there were 38 strikes in the private sector in Peru

According to information from the Statistical Office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Promotion (MTPE), recently published in the document 'Strikes in Peru 2021', by this entity, 38 national strikes were registered last year in the area of collective labor relations subject to the private sector regime. These strikes reached a total of 209,142 workers.

If the figure is compared to previous years, there has been an increase compared to 2020 (23 strikes with 127,868 workers), but a decrease compared to behavior in pre-pandemic times. In 2019, there were 67 strikes, involving 110,154 workers. However, it should be noted that, with fewer strikes in 2021, more workers followed this measure of force, that is, they corresponded to larger organizations.

The economic sectors that recorded the most strikes were mining and quarrying (15) and manufacturing industries (9). Likewise, the highest number of strikes occurred in Metropolitan Lima (18), Junín (5) and Lima Region (3).

“A strike is the right exercised by workers affiliated to a trade union organization and will materialize through the suspension of work and the abandonment of the workplace. Understanding their nature, for what reasons they occur, how long they last, their impact and the qualification of the labor authority, is very useful for collective labor relations (unions and employers), the elaboration of collective bargaining strategies or their updating, prevention or management of labor disputes and the preservation of the good working environment”, explains Carlos Cadillo, partner of Miranda & Amado in the labor area, to look carefully at the data of 'Strikes in Peru 2021'.

MOTIVES

Thus, it should be noted that the reasons for the strikes in 2021 were as follows: 25 (66%) were linked to the settlement of claims in the framework of collective bargaining; 11 (29%) for non-compliance with legal or conventional norms; and 2 (5%) due to the threat of dismissal or other reasons. Taking into account the number of workers included according to the cause of the strike, this order changes: 94% were included in strikes due to non-compliance with the rules, 4% by collective bargaining and 2% for threatened dismissal or other reasons.

Regarding the temporary scope of the strikes recorded in 2021, 26 (68%) were for an indefinite period and 12 (32%) for a fixed period of time. In addition, it is specified that there were 6 strikes that lasted 1 day; 10, 2 days; 4, 3 days; and, 3, from 4 to 7 days. In addition, 5 strikes lasted from 8 to 15 days, 3 from 16 to 21 days, 4 from 22 to 35 days, and 3 that lasted from 36 to more days.

Finally, the administrative authorities of the Ministry of Labour rated 16 (42 per cent) of these strikes as appropriate and 22 (58 per cent) as irrelevant and illegal.

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