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Peruvian social networks are buzzing with talk about the temporary closing of one of the Ripley stores from the Chilean department store chain Grupo Ripley Corp. S.A. Although the closing of the store is officially in accordance with the lack of a security certificate issued by the Civil Defense, it has come about in the middle of a long conflict with its employees, who have been protesting for workers’ rights and a raise in salary similar to the Ripley employees in Chile.

The employees, who have declared an indefinite strike soon, allege that not only have their salaries been very low since the past 14 years, but also that the company has ordered them to lie to customers, pressuring them into purchasing insurances and/or sign up for cards without being provided complete information on contract terms, as well as making misleading statements.

Ripley store closed by the municipality of Surco (Photo: Pablo Secada, @psecada)

The company, which has been fined in the past by the Labor Department for participating in bad business practices by not paying employees for their workers’ rights, has responded with a public statement in which they deny all of the accusations.

The blog La Otra Orilla describes the alleged practices in question of Ripley stores:

Esta semana, sin embargo, se han ido revelando otras informaciones acerca del modus operandi de tiendas RIPLEY  que señalan, por un lado, que tienen una política laboral, por decir lo menos, precaria (con sueldos de hambre que no superan los 100 soles [US $35] y despidos intempestivos que no reconocen ni compensanciones por tiempo de servicios ni indemnizaciones laborales) y, por el otro, que tienen una política comercial, azas [sic] abusiva, que alienta el sobreendeudamiento de los clientes y el pago de cuotas exhorbitantes a través de la modalidad, también denunciada en otros países, del pago a cuotas a través de la tarjeta de crédito.

Eduardo Jimenez from the Tips Legales blog comments on the topic and states:

Creo que si en algo se condice el espíritu nacionalista del actual gobierno sería en la protección de sus connacionales, y en el Caso Ripley tiene una magnífica oportunidad para demostrarlo, vía el Ministerio de Trabajo, a fin de determinar las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores PERUANOS de la conocida cadena de tiendas.

The media coverage of the so-called “Ripley Case” has moved many Ripley customers to take the opportunity to express their disappointment with the company, organizing a Facebook virtual event called “Campaña para no comprar en Tiendas Ripley” (Campaign Against Buying from Ripley Stores):

Ellxs se llenan los bolsillos a costa del consumo de sus clientes, te invitamos a promover esta campaña virtual en solidaridad con lxs trabajadores para que esta semana no tengan consumo y bajen sus ventas. Demostremos quienes realmente tenemos el poder. Que no se atrevan a despedir ni a intimidar a lxs dirigentes sindicales, ni a lxs afiliados, la sindicalización y el derecho a huelga están amparados por ley.

The case is becoming significant because a fairly large sector of the public is echoing the workers’ demands and expressing their support, like Marcelo Robles:

Este es el momento de mostrar nuestra solidaridad con las demandas laborales de nuestros hermanos trabajadores de la transnacional Ripley!! No comprar nada es estas tiendas,es buena medida de lucha en contra de esa patronal explotadora.

Some are asking Ripley stores to give greater and more transparent information about its work policy, like Ivonee L.G. @ilazo):

sería interesante que puedan mostrar un contrato modelo de Ripley con un trabajo o vendedor promedio, quizás se aclare más el asunto(?)

Others, like Cathy Martinez (@cathy_laura) don’t hesitate to mention cases they know personally:

Mi prima como cajera no ganaba mas de 900 mensuales cuando trabaja [sic] en Ripley.

YouTube user Marciel Soto (Marcialsotosanchez) uploaded this video from the union protests, recorded with his cell phone:

Bertha Ma. Carrillo (@BmariaCarrillo) wonders if the abuses denounced by Ripley workers are also occurring in other large stores:

@karreb: ¿Lo q pasa en Ripley, no es lo mismo que pasa en SAGA, Oeschle, TopyTop, Él, Vea, Vivanda, Metro, etc y etc?// Todos hacen lo mismo

Pablo Diego Ayllón echoes her sentiment, calling on authorities to intervene:

RIPLEY= abusivos!!! esa cadena tiene que desaparecer del Peru, es un insulto a la dignidad laboral del trabajador peruano. Lamentablemente esto no es novedad, la mayoria de cadenas, mineras extranjeras y empresas transnacionales (como Ripley y Telefonica) que operan en el Peru EXPLOTAN de manera cruel a sus trabajadores. Una verdadera vergüenza!!

On the other side, the local newspaper El Comercio has been questioned about the scarce or nonexistent coverage given to the Ripley workers’ conflict. This is attributed to the fact that Ripley stores tend to contract a great deal of publicity in this newspaper, as pointed out in a tweet by Javier Fernandez (@javi270270):

El Comercio IGNORO completamente la huelga de RIPLEY. Para ellos su divisa es la publicidad. Despues la noticia!

The closed Ripley store (as of August 17) is located in the Jockey Plaza mall, and will not be able to reopen until it obtains the certificate it lacks, a process that normally takes about three days.

The Ripley workers’ union continues its protests on the streets as well as on its Facebook page.