In the midst of a fierce union internship, at least 80 collective lines, whose workers are grouped in one of the opposition sectors within the Automotive Tramway Union (UTA), carry out a surprise strike to demand a salary increase and the assumption of their representatives in certain union affiliates. As a result, thousands of users are affected and significant delays are recorded at the main stops in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA).
These are drivers that make up the Blue List of the union, grouped in the Juan Manuel Palacios group, who on Monday afternoon planned to travel to the Ministry of Labor of the Nation, located on Avenida Leandro N. Alem at 650, to hold a meeting with representatives of the portfolio headed by Raquel “Kelly” Olmos.
However, within the framework of a day marked by multiple pickets from social and left-wing organizations, the unionists suspended the march and decided, around 11:00 p.m. that day, to gather in front of the government headquarters to hold a camp there. which lasted for several days.
In the absence of an agreement with the national authorities, this faction of the union issued a statement yesterday in which it announced a “national strike for 12 hours” and threatened that, if the conflict continues, they will also carry out a cessation of activities throughout the day next March 23.
The measure of force began at 00:00 this Friday and mainly affects the lines of the DOTA company: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 28, 31, 44, 50, 51, 56, 57, 74, 76, 79, 84, 91, 99, 101, 106, 107, 108, 117, 130, 135, 146, 150, 161, 164, 168, 177, 188, 256, 263, 271, 299, 370, 384, 385, 388, 403, 405, 421, 429 435, 503 from San Vicente, 514 from Almirante Brown and 520 from Lanús.
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Specifically, the drivers demand a salary of 350,000 pesos for workers in the sector, to match the salary with their colleagues in the rest of the country, and formally assume 5 affiliates of the union (Santa Fe, Mar del Plata, Córdoba, Jujuy and Santiago del Estero) where, as they assured, the Blue List was imposed by popular vote in the last internal elections.
The protest is led by the UTA sector that has maximum references to Miguel Bustinduy and Osvaldo Agrafogowho dispute the power of the current general secretary of the union, Roberto Fernandez.
After several days of camping, the drivers who support this faction announced on Thursday a total unemployment of the lines they represent, which will take effect from 00:00 this Friday and will remain, in principle, for 12 hours.
In the afternoon, the Board of Directors of the UTA issued its own statement, in which it disassociated itself from the strike and accused Bustinduy of trying “with its complacent staff, to generate an employer Lock Out with the sole objective of deducting wages for workers.” ”.
“It is unfortunate that a small group of people, identified with the list that lost the elections, intends to use the workers, holding the users hostage to their interests, in an alleged measure that is not endorsed by the union entity” , was remarked in the text that bears the signature of Fernández.
In this sense, the ruling party remarked that “those who lost the elections, and represent the interests of the businessman, do not even remotely know the reality of the transport of people in the country, now they try to invent non-existent situations, generate discomfort in the population, in spaces of power, precisely because they were crushed in the last electoral process”.
“We as representatives of the workers demand that wages be paid and we will enforce each of the votes of confidence that they have placed in us,” the statement closed.
The conflict led by Bustinduy and Agrafogo dates from the end of last February, when 50 bus lines interrupted service for almost 24 hours to demand payment of a 10% salary increase that had not come into effect despite being previously agreed.
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After a virtual hearing convened by the Ministry of Labor, the representatives of the DOTA company and the drivers of the lines involved reached an agreement to normalize the payment of the amount owed.
As reported by the labor portfolio at that time, the meeting between the parties was held virtually and, after that, the union representatives submitted the results of the meeting to the assembly. With the commitment to settle the debt demanded by the drivers, the public service used by tens of thousands of users in the Buenos Aires suburbs and the Buenos aires city gradually began to normalize.
However, the unexpected measure of force had already left thousands of passengers on the AMBA without transportation. More of 50 bus lines were affected by a union claim of workers of the DOTA Group, which covers a large part of the entire bus service of the City of Buenos Aires and the suburbs. The drivers demanded payment of a salary debt.
In effect, the bus drivers showed up at the head office, but until they had received what the DOTA Group owed them, they did not provide the service, which made it difficult for many families, since that same day classes began in the City of Buenos Aires.
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