Petroecuador Workers on Indefinite Strike Over Wage Demands

Authorities have not yet incorporated the new salary, despite a ruling executed on January 15 establishing equal pay for equal work

Jan 18, 2023

On Wednesday, workers of the state-owned oil company Petroecuador began an indefinite strike in Quito, Ecuador, demanding fair wages and better working conditions.

The workers gathered at the company’s headquarters in Quito and demanded the dismissal of Petroecuador’s Deputy Manager of Human Resources, Julio César Moscoso, for not complying with the wage equalization.

According to the workers’ lawyer, Rafael Ponce, Moscoso does not guarantee employees the guarantees established in a court ruling on January 15, setting equal pay for equal work.

Ponce said that some 4 800 workers would benefit from the wage homologation agreement that establishes a wage of $987 instead of the current low wages of $420 and $460.

#ATENCIÓN | En los exteriores de Petroecuador, en las avenidas Almagro y Alpallana, al norte de Quito, un grupo considerable de personas protestan y piden la salida de las autoridades de la empresa estatal.
Llegaron desde la avenida Amazonas y se estima que son 200 personas. pic.twitter.com/SlV6p4799i

— Radio La Calle (@radiolacalle) January 18, 2023

Outside Petroecuador, on Almagro and Alpallana avenues, north of Quito, a large group of people are protesting and demanding the departure of the authorities of the state-owned company. They arrived from Amazonas Avenue and are estimated at 200 people.

The workers demanded the resignation of Hugo Aguiar, general manager of Petroecuador, be accepted. Aguiar tendered his resignation in the context of a corruption case in public companies in the energy sector.

They urged that the position be filled with someone with the necessary skills and knowledge to take on the responsibility and thus increase state revenues.

The state-owned oil company issued a statement accusing the workers of attempting to take a public building by force. Petroecuador did not reference the protesters’ demands or the company’s failure to comply with the wage homologation agreement.

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