Aviation workers in Chile have launched a general strike across the Latin American country to persuade authorities into providing them with better pension plans.

Around 2,000 Chilean airport workers went on a strike on Friday to paralyze air traffic operations, weather services and airport security. Their efforts, however, only resulted in delays and long lines of passengers waiting to board their flights.

"We have asked airlines to reschedule their flight plans," General Directorate of Civil Aviation workers' association president Jorge Perez was quoted by AFP as saying.

"This strike is not against airline users but against the authorities who have slammed the door in our faces."

Perez said that the pension offered by the officials has been calculated based on half pay and not the full amount of their salary for the past 25 years.

A total of 2,147 workers are affected by the plan, Perez noted.

"We are excellent workers but we suffer precarious conditions," he said.

Similar protests over pays and working conditions have swept through the Latin American nation.

Last week the Chilean public sector workers took to streets demanding higher pays.

Earlier there was a similar move by the country's teachers, who refrained from attending their classes.

The airport strike kicked off at 7:00 a.m. (1000 GMT) and was scheduled to end at 2:00 p.m. (1700 GMT).

RB/MMN