Unionised workers of Peru’s state-run oil company, Petroperu, on Monday commenced a three-day industrial strike to protest plans to privatize parts of the firm, although the company insisted operations remained normal and the government declared the walkout unlawful.
According to a report by Reuters, about 30% of the company’s 2,200 unionised workers joined the strike, according to José Luis Saavedra, general secretary of the administrative workers’ union.
“The speed with which the government wants to privatize Petroperu is striking,” Saavedra said, as quoted by Reuters.
In a statement following the declaration of the strike, Petroperu said all its facilities were operating normally and assured the public that the national fuel supply would not be affected.
The company added that Peru’s labour ministry had ruled the strike call “inadmissible,” although the decision is subject to a three-day review.
The labour action follows a plan approved in late December by President José Jeri to overhaul the financially troubled company.
The plan seeks to attract private investment into key assets, and Economy Minister Denisse Miralles said last week that the first management contracts with private firms could be signed as early as June.
Petroperu is burdened with significant debt, having received up to $5.3 billion in government aid between 2022 and 2024 to avert bankruptcy.
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