In July, workers at the construction They will receive the last increase of the three agreed upon in the last meeting between the business chambers and the sector’s unions. Salaries will have an improvement in real terms, although the salary recomposition is still insufficient for workers in the sector. sector most affected by the recession.
In April, the Construction Workers Union of the Argentine Republic (UOCRA) agreed with the Argentine Chamber of Construction (CAMARCO) and the Argentine Federation of Construction Entities (FAEC) a quarterly increase of 40% for the period April-June 2024.
The increase corresponding to June salaries will be 11%higher than the inflation estimated for that month. However, compared to December 2023, income rose by slightly more than 110%against an estimated price variation around 126% for that period (assuming inflation of 5% in June), which reflects a deterioration in purchasing power and adds to the loss of jobs that occurred in these months.
The first adjustment had been 14% in May, corresponding to April salaries, and then there was another 11% in June, corresponding to May salaries.
Starting with the July salary adjustment, The remuneration for the hour of work will be $2,606 for the lowest category, will be close to $5,000 for an intermediate category, and will rise to $7,226 for the highest category.
As an example, an employee who works 44 hours a week (“normal work day” according to the 1975 agreement), and contemplating four weeks of work in the month, will have a basic monthly salary of $458,656 if you belong to the category of assistant zone A, close to $850,000 if you belong to intermediate categories, and $1,271,776 if you are a specialized Officer zone C “Austral”.
It is worth remembering, however, that this is a sector with high levels of informality in the type of contract, which is why salaries can show a great dispersion between workers.
Impact of the recession on construction, in numbers
The paralysis of public works since the arrival of Javier Milei to the Casa Rosada caused an enormous negative impact on the construction sector.
The latest public data from INDEC They reported that activity in the sector accumulated a contraction of 32% in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, although a slight improvement was observed in April, compared to March.
In that context, the IERIC (Institute of Statistics and Registration of the Construction Industry) reported that in April Construction employment fell for the eighth consecutive monthalthough the decline slowed compared to previous months.
Specifically, they were 4,000 fewer jobs those that were verified, which is why since August there has been an accumulated loss of 90,000 jobs.
Patagonia was the most affected region, while in AMBA and in the north of the country, occupancy levels seem to have stabilized, although well below the numbers from a year ago.
How much will construction workers earn in June, depending on category?
Construction workers under contract will receive the following amounts per hour of work in June, according to their categorization:
- Specialized officer zone A: $3,613
- Specialized officer zone B: $4,010
- Specialized officer zone C: $5,548
- Specialized officer zone C “Austral”: $7,226
- Zone A officer: $3,079
- Zone B officer: $3,420
- Zone C officer: $5,180
- Official zone C “Austral”: $6,158
- Official average zone A: $2,839
- Half official zone B: $3,147
- Official medium zone C: $4,988
- Half official zone C “Austral”: $5,678
- Zone A assistant: $2,606
- Assistant zone B: $2,906
- Zone C assistant: $4,831
- Assistant zone C “Austral”: $5,213
Source: Ambito
