The union representatives managed to establish the salary negotiation on a quarterly basis, which allows them to closely monitor inflation
For Alejandro DiBiasi
02/01/2023 – 8:40 p.m.
Beyond the deterioration of purchasing power due to the impact caused by inflation, by dint of tough negotiations some sectors are gaining on the cost of living. Such is the case of the Telecommunications Union Unity Board (MUS) that closed an agreement with the directors of the main companies in the sector (Telefónica, Telecom and Movistar, among others)that consistent in a 15 percent salary increase that must be applied to the scales established in each category by July 2022 for each employee and telephone employee.
But this is not all, since they got a additional sum of up to 20,100 pesos (also according to the categories) and during this month, they will receive a super bonus of 214,086 pesos for Telephone Worker’s Day.
The representatives of the different telephone unions have managed to salary negotiation is established quarterly, which allows them to closely follow the evolution of wages in relation to inflation. “At shorter periods, the loss of purchasing power is limited,” union sources explained.
Increase to collect in February and continuity of negotiations
That 15 percent agreed to be paid with February wages and corresponds to the first two-month period of the year. They also confirmed that in the middle of next month they will meet with employers to analyze the salary situation of workers in the sector.
According to the spokespersons consulted, if inflation continues to decline “it will allow better management of the negotiations, without the tension of a possible conflict and with greater predictability in the numbers.” In other words, wages could definitely enter a virtuous circle of recovery. But they prefer to be cautious because “the economic situation is linked to the political climate that we are going through, where we have an opposition with a degree of pyrotechnics on the surface and an officialism that has its internals latent.”
The Telecommunications Union Unity Table is made up of the Argentine Federation of Telecommunications Workers (FATTEL), the Telecommunications Professionals Union (CePETel), the Federation of Workers, Specialists and employees of the Telecommunications Services and Industry of the Republic of Argentina (FOEESITRA) and the Federation of Organizations of Telecommunications Middle Management (FOMMTRA).
During this month, they will receive a super bonus of 214,086 pesos for Telephone Worker’s Day
Until now, union organizations had agreed to a 46 percent increase product of two quarterly discussions that took place since last June; With December salaries they achieved a 12 percent increase, plus the payment of the bonus of about 20,000 pesos and now they added 15 percent.
“Income tax goes down a black hole”
The General Secretary of the Federation of Workers, Specialists and Employees of the Telecommunications Services and Industry of the Argentine Republic (FOESSITRA), Daniel Rodríguez, strongly questioned the application of the Income Tax because “the money of the workers falls in a black hole.” He pointed out that despite the decree of the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, which raises the salary floor again, “our claim remains firm regarding a profound change in this tax.”
He reiterated that “salary is not profit and if the General rose from his grave, he would be scandalized because in a Peronist government a tax is charged on work“In this context, he explained that the activity is being seriously affected because industry workers no longer want to work overtime because what they receive in that concept is taken by the State.
“There are a variety of bills to eliminate the income tax on salaries and Congress should urgently move on that path,” he said.
The most important initiatives in this regard come precisely from the union sector, such as that of the General Secretary of the Banking Association (AB), Sergio Palazzo, who intends to raise the floor above $600,000 and that of the hierarchical of the AFIP, who proposes to take all the expenses as compensation in an idea of ”laundering” the entire economy.
