University crisis: days before the march, the UBA denounced that more than 60% of its workers are poor

The fight between universities and Executive power by the law of financing of the sector will return to the streets next Wednesday, in a repeat of the conflict from last April, when the workers and the students demanded the libertarian administration for a increase in funds, given the critical situation of the institutions.

Now, almost six months later, they will concentrate again to ask President Javier Milei to desist from vetoing the legislation, sanctioned by Congress, which plans to increase the disbursements for national universitiesboth for operating expenses and for wages.

The UBA warning: six out of every 10 workers are poor

The current situation is critical. “Today you have more than 60% of university workers in all categories below the poverty line,” said Yacobitti. and exemplified: “An adjunct professor who has full dedication, eight hours a day every day of the week, He is charging $840,000 pesos in hand.”

The loss of purchasing power of teaching and non-teaching salaries is a direct hit to educational quality from the university. By not making ends meet,workers are forced to lower their dedication to look for other jobs. “Some get offers from private universities, or from other countries, and that is going to generate a gigantic impact,” he warned.

In that sense, Yacobitti gave as an example the Mass resignation of professors at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences: in recent times, 48 teachers left their positions in search of better salary conditions. “That is 10% of the teaching staff,” he said.

The vice-rector of the UBA pointed out that, due to current conditions, The university “has no way to retain the teacher” because in the Private institutions “offer you double or triple what you charge in public institutions.” “In some cases they ask them as a requirement to stop teaching at the UBA because they consider it competition,” he said in dialogue with Radio con Vos.

Adjustment in universities: teaching and non-teaching workers lost 50% of income

Then, he delved into the loss of purchasing power of salaries during the current year: “In the last nine months there was an adjustment to the salaries of university professors and the rest of the workerswhich in themselves were not very good salaries, but never in the history of democracy until now have they had the loss of purchasing power that they are having.”

Yacobitti pointed out that the Executive recognizes the impact of the adjustment on workers’ income. “Today they recognize two things that until now they did not recognize: first that the loss is almost 50% with respect to inflation, and second that the salary loss that the university students had is at least 20% higher than the rest of the workers in the university. State, until recently this was denied,” he said.

Despite admitting the seriousness of the situationthe Government will not move away from its position and will move forward with the veto of the lawwhich will be published hours after the mobilization. By law, the President has until October 3.

How much would the university financing law cost the State?

The official argument is fiscal in nature: to maintain the balance of public accounts. However, An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office assures that 0.14% of GDP is enough to pay for updating the operating expenses of universities. and its hospitals, science and technology funds, and salary recomposition.

Yacobitti revealed that in the last meetings he had with officials of the Ministry of Economy They recognize that the state spending that would be required to comply with the law would be irrelevant to the deficit. “Everyone tells you that the cost of college is insignificant to the deficit,” he said.

The vice-rector stated that “comparatively The benefit generated by the public university is an investment, not an expense“, unlike what the Government thinks. Despite this, he questioned Javier Milei’s position.: “The president does not want to give in regarding Congress having a role with respect to the laws that he vetoes, and this should fall into the same bag.”

In the face of a possible treatment of the veto in Congress, as occurred with the law on retirements, Yacobitti referred to the role of the deputies. “What we What we are proposing among the rectors, students and workers is that the majority of the deputies were elected saying that they were going to defend the public universitywho believed in a State that functioned efficiently. We have such a great level of acceptance and credibility in society because it is a part of the State that works, so We have to take care of it much more than the rest of the things.”, he insisted.