The pressure from the unions to reach better agreements in joint discussions is increasing with the purpose of recovering what has been lost in recent months. Many of the agreements signed were made with an expectation of a lower price rise than the current one. Added to this is the fact that not all union branches reached adjustments in line with existing inflationary levels.
There are powerful unions that, due to their negotiating capacity, better accompanied these increases. But another important point is not only the percentage obtained but also the form of payment. With a floor of 6% monthly increase in the cost of living, the delay of two or three months in receiving the update liquefies the increase.
Parities and inflation: unions discuss salary guidelines
That’s why some unions managed, long ago, to receive quarterly increases based on past inflation.
One of the best known cases is that of the union of SMATA representing the automotive sector. Years ago, when annual inflation exceeded 30%, it agreed with the terminals grouped in ADEFA this mechanism.
For example, for the period April-May-June they have just received a 24.53% increase. This is even a couple of percentage points above the accumulated CPI, which was 22.2%.
Despite this, from the union led by Ricardo Pignanelli they have been claiming that the acceleration of the inflationary process that has occurred since the beginning of 2022 is affecting the purchasing power of mechanical workers.
The argument used is that at the end of the quarter they receive an adjustment for the inflation past and that doesn’t quite cover the updated cost of living. This implies these two additional points that they received in July. It was a way of compensating for that inflationary gap.
But for the union, this is not the best solution and that is why it proposed to the automakers that the adjustment stop being quarterly and become bimonthly, so that there is less distortion.
The measure is being analyzed among the companies associated with ADEFA. Sources from the sector consulted by Ámbito confirmed that the issue is being evaluated and some even ventured that there are possibilities that it will be accepted. If so, it would be the first major union to receive bimonthly increases based on inflation.
The automotive industry is working with high levels of activity, largely due to the need to export and generate its own dollars to import the rest of the vehicles required to complete the range.
The lack of reserves in the Central Bank greatly limits the possibilities of improving the 0km offer in the domestic market. This is evidenced by the delays in delivery of many models and the existence of overprices.
Toyota is the main producer of vehicles and, for example, is working in three shifts, from Monday to Friday, to cover the demand.
Other terminals are also in the process of increasing production, so a union conflict would be a serious economic loss.
This is generated in a context of serious difficulties in the supply of inputs due to restrictions on imports and the lack of dollars that means that several terminals have to stop assembly lines intermittently.
That is why the SMATA claim is being seriously analyzed by ADEFA, since they want to rule out any measure of force that further complicates production.
If an agreement is reached, the idea is that the bimonthly adjustment begins to be implemented as of September.
Source: Ambito
