The state unions proposed yesterday to the Buenos Aires government that it advance the quota of the increase planned for the month of July in such a way that with the salaries of this month the workers receive a salary improvement of 20 percent. The proposal came to fruition during the reopening of the parity negotiation that occurred before the unions’ claim for the loss experienced by wages in the face of inflation.
The Province and the unions signed an agreement for the first seven months of the year to be paid in three installments: 20 percent in March, 6 percent in May, and 14 percent in July. But in the face of soaring inflation, the first tranche has already fallen below inflation. For this reason, they pushed for the reopening of the negotiation that took place yesterday.
In this context, as was said, there was agreement between UPCN, the Fegeppba and ATE unions so that the July fee is paid with May salaries. Thus, the improvement that state workers would receive would be 20 percent when they receive wages in the first days of next month.
Of course, in the midst of an inflationary context that is far from giving way, the unions charged with another proposal: short parities with reopening from July. “The idea is to agree to increases for two months and discuss again so that salaries do not fall below inflation,” said the unionists consulted by this newspaper.
The unions asked the Province to advance the payment of the increase / ATE
The proposals were received by the officials, who took note and promised to respond shortly. The unions requested that the response be made before the middle of this month, so that the improvement can be settled with May salaries.
Although there was no formal proposal in this sense, it transpired that the idea of the unions is that before the Primary elections in August, salaries can be at least three points above inflation. This aspiration is based on an unpleasant memory for the state: during the government of María Eugenia Vidal, after those 2019 elections with the result already sentenced, they failed to get the Government to reopen the parity and ended up losing about 15 points against the inflation.
POLITICAL SCENARIO
The idea now is to be at least safe from the uncertainty of the electoral result and a highly doubtful political scenario.
Another union request has to do with the possibility that Axel Kicillof’s administration can retroactively pay 5 percent to March, with the idea of reversing the salary loss against inflation. This proposal, in principle, appears as the least likely to materialize in the midst of the new joint negotiation.
In the midst of open debates at the national level regarding the recomposition of salaries through the payment of a fixed sum, the state unions made it clear at the negotiating table that they want all the sums to impact basic salaries, in order to avoid flatten the salary pyramid.
In this way, too, all improvements will be transferred to retirees.
Although the date of the new call was not disclosed, everything indicates that it will be next week, with the idea that the reformulation of the increase agreed in the first days of March be paid with the salaries of this month.
The Buenos Aires government limited itself to listening to the proposals of the unions, although it transpired that the government of Axel Kicillof would be willing to review the agreements.
Meanwhile, today there will be a new meeting of the technical commissions where, among other points, a request from the unions will be analyzed so that those workers who reached the limit of their grouping in the ladder, receive a plus of 20 percent over the basic because they are barred from ascending.
In these commissions it was already agreed to advance with promotions starting in April. Thus, employees with seniority greater than or equal to 4 years will ascend two categories, while those with seniority of less than 4 years and greater than or equal to 2 years will go up one rung in the ladder. Promotions imply a salary difference for the personnel involved.
