metallurgists began a 48-hour strike due to lack of agreement

The dialogue between both parties is at a standstill. After five matches of parity negotiation without advances, the last three throughout last week and the one that passed this Wednesday, and already in the field of Ministry of Laborthe UOM initiated the fight plan.

From the union, they insist that their objective is “the recovery and recomposition of the fair and decent salary for all metal workers.” Hence the activation of this National Fight Plan in three stages of union action that will go in crescendo from this week. “We are not making all this move to withdraw from the table without what we consider to be ours,” said another UOM leader who is participating in the negotiating table. And he remarked that the agreement with the metallurgists it is tied to that of the steelworkers “for a matter of common sense: you cannot advance with one camera and not with the rest.”

In a statement released in advance of yesterday’s mobilization to Techint, the UOM synthesized some of the arguments that were brought to the attention of the Ministry of Labor. They assure that “contributing 189 hours to the industry productionHe and the workers can’t make ends meet.” And they stress that the salary The current price for a new worker is $129,723.93, while the June food basket, which sets the poverty line in Argentina, was $217,915.79.

“He smetallurgical alary it lost almost 20% of purchasing power during the Macri government and continued to lose during the pandemic. While the metallurgical production indices recovered and the use of installed capacity rises 68.9%, the best in the last seven years”, they based on the same synthesis. This is how “the unprecedented event in the history of work in Argentina occurs: employment registered with wages below the poverty line.

UOM- Entrepreneurs: what is discussed at the negotiating tables

The union asks for a salary increase of 60% for the first semester of its collective agreement and a fixed sum. In other words, a quarterly agreement that starts from 10% retroactive to June and 30% until September, plus a bond one-time fee of $60,000 for the Metallurgist’s Day of September 7, to be paid that same month.

“Added to the comparative advantages offered by the exchange rate and the low cost of energy, companies have huge profits today in Argentina,” said the UOM in its latest statement.

However, the point that generates the greatest friction is the request for a $60,000 bonus in recognition of the Labor Day and the Metallurgical Worker, on September 7. Also here from the union they are willing to discuss a payment in installments.

The response of the companies, for the moment, implies the acceptance of a 30% increase, but not cumulative, with another quota schedule, without the bonus and without the inclusion of the 30% plus for unfavorable areas, an offer that they reject from the WOU.