Workers at the Chilean Port of San Antonio are to take part in a nationwide public-sector strike on Tuesday.

The move by port workers at Chile's most important exit point for fruit shipments comes as mass protests grip the country.

Miguel Lillo, president of the San Antonio port workers union, said the workers support the demands of the Chilean people.

"The port workers are one hundred percent aligned with the movement, because we are citizens, parents of families. This is a country-wide problem, and we're worried people aren't being listened to," he said.

Chile is one of Latin America's more prosperous countries, but it is also one of the most unequal. Many of the protesters are demanding significant changes to the country's social, economic and political structures.

Numerous ports in Chile have been temporarily paralyzed over recent weeks. The situation comes just as the country's summer fruit export season gets underway.

"Before we stopped working for six days to support the people. We have to lose in order to win, and winning peace for the country is our priority," said Lillo.

In addition to the strike, a few days ago there was a warning from the International Dockworkers Council (IDC), which groups together port workers unions in various parts of the world.

The IDC said in the letter, which was signed by the Latin American coordinator, that it would not allow the entry of ships sailing from Chile into ports where it has union representation if the "policial repression" continues.