Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales agreed on a renewed labor deal with workers, ending a strike that reportedly mobilized ten thousand protestors.
The agreement was reached after six hours of negotiation between representatives of the strikers and Pacific Rubiales. The workers agreed to end their strike after Pacific Rubiales agreed to four out of their five demands.
Pacific Rubiales announced that there would be no retaliation against workers who striked and that they would receive pay for the month during which they refused to work. The oil company said they would honor existing contracts as well. They also agreed to create a single standard of working conditions that would match conditions elsewhere in the industry.
The oil workers were protesting to demand better food, shelter, and pay which they said were inferior to what workers received at other companies.
In the final days of the strike, clashes with police occurred and several vehicles were burned as workers from other companies joined the protest. As many as 10,000 workers were estimated to be protesting at the strike’s conclusion.
RCN Radio reported that three civilians and six police officers were injured and six vans were set on fire during the clashes. Special police and army units were called upon by President Juan Manuel Santos Tuesday to attempt to quell the riots.
