Bolivian unions, govt reach agreement following protests

Bolivian industrial union members, including miners, who staged a series of nationwide protests last month, reached an agreement on labor issues with the government, a senior official said.

The Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), the Andean country's largest labor federation, accepted new decrees aimed at guaranteeing state jobs, education minister Roberto Aguilar said. The COB led three national strikes in June and national protests at the end of May over the closure of bankrupt state companies including textile mill Enatex.

The decrees "guarantee there will be no fears that what happened to Enatex could happen to other workers, in either the state sector or the private sector," Aguilar said in a televised press conference. "We have had to endure several strikes, suspensions of activities and a series of problems for the population to get to this point..."

The government will forward to the unions the new legislation modifying decree 2765, through which 1,000 jobs had been axed at Enatex, Aguilar said.

The government has also shut the Karachipampa zinc smelter, the El Mutún iron-steel project and state postal service Ecobol in the past six months.

El Mutún workers threatened to block roads and stage hunger strikes next week if the government does not provide a solution that will lead to them receiving six months' worth of back pay they are owed, union leader Mario Bustillos told state news agency ABI.

President Evo Morales, who lost a bid to extend his decade-long rule in February, has faced massive protests against his government. Transport, health, textile and education workers, as well as disabled people, have staged demonstrations and blocked highways in key mining and oil regions.

Private investment has dwindled in Bolivia since Morales, who was sworn in for a third consecutive term last year, seized mining operations from companies including Glencore, South American Silver and Jindal Steel since first taking office in 2006. Bolivia's mining exports dropped 14.7% to US$1.736bn last year.

Bolivia, which is also home to mines operated by Pan American Silver, Coeur Mining, Sumitomo, Orvana Minerals and Franklin Mining, produced 19,287t tin, 407,332t zinc, 82,131t lead, 7,549t copper and 41.2Moz silver in 2013, the most recent available figures, according to the mining ministry.