The leader of the powerful truck drivers’ union Pablo Moyano yesterday confirmed teamsters will demand a 35-percent hike “on the streets” in the upcoming wage negotiations because their inflation estimates for 2014 “are over 30 percent.”
Even though the teamsters’ representative rejected the 25-percent ceiling agreed upon by several provincial administrations during a meeting last week, his statements were read as a negotiating attitude by the son of the anti-government CGT umbrella union head Hugo Moyano.
Days ago, teachers from the CGT faction led by Antonio Caló — including UDA, CEA, AMET and Sadop — demanded the national government to raise their initial salary from 3,416 to 5,500 pesos — a 61-percent raise that was immediatly rejected by officials of the federal administration.
“We know inflation rates are over 30 percent, so I cannot arrive (at the negotiating table) demanding a 25 percent increase,” Moyano told radio programme El fin de la metáfora, dismissing the possibility of a “ceiling” in wage talks.
Last month’s steep devaluation “was a huge blow for those who suffer the most, is bad news in every sense,” the Truck Drivers’ Union Secretary added.
Moyano highlighted that their recent eight percent wage hike — the last part of last year’s wage deal — was “eaten away by inflation”
This year’s salary negotiations will be very tough, he said — and unions will probably take to the streets starting next month.
Collective bargain talks for his sector will open in June.
“We will ask for a 35 percent salary increment because of the negative impact inflation rates have had on our incomes”, Mo-
yano insisted, while adding his union will “fight for a fair salary.”
Teamsters’ will demand an annual wage hike, not a six-month wage deal like some teachers’ unions asked for in recent talks, he added.
No reunification
Moyano also dismissed the possibility of a reunification of the different workers’ umbrella unions, that is, the three sectors of the CGT and the two of the CTA.
“There’s zero possibility, because one sector of the workers’ movement is too close to the national government and is only applauding its measures,” Moyano said.
The union leader said the dissident CGT will support “a Peronist” in the next presidential election, and dismissed the possibility of supporting a candidate from outside the Justicialist Party (PJ).
Earlier, the auto workers’ union (SMATA) head Ricardo Pignanelli had rejected the possibility that the government would increase wages by decree by saying that such a measure would simply be “sweeping the problem under the carpet.”
Pignanelli, who is part of the pro-government CGT umbrella union headed by metal workers’ union head Antonio Caló, chose not to talk about percentages and stated that each sector will follow “its own criteria” to demand salary hikes this year.
“If I say a figure I would only encourage price-makers who want to mark-up prices,” Pignanelli told newspaper Página/12.
“We need to discuss company profits, production volumes, productivity and the workers’ basic food basket — by then, a figure will emerge,” he concluded.
Provinces on fire
Statements by Moyano and Pignanelli were known as state workers from the Buenos Aires, Catamarca and Jujuy provinces are beginning a series of protests to demand wage hikes including rallies and roadblocks.
Workers request salary raises and the immediate opening of wage talks, while also rejecting the 25-percent ceiling agreed upon by several provincial officials last week during a meeting in downtown Buenos Aires.
Health workers grouped under the FESPROSA are expected to begin protests on Wednesday with a 48-hour strike, while Catamarca’s state workers will adopt a similar measure one day later.
The ATE state workers’ association of the BA province also adopted two measures “against the economic adjustment plans.”
The first one is a mobilization scheduled for this Wednesday, when provincial economy ministers are expected to meet again in order to co-ordinate a 25 percent ceiling for wage hikes. The other will be a 48-hour strike that will take place on March 5 and 6 that will include a protest in La Plata, ATE General Secretary Oscar de Isasi said.
—Herald with DyN