The Confederation of State Employees Organizations (COFE) will carry out a partial general strike, against the application of the new medical leave regimewhere state services and offices will be affected.
The union confirmed this this week and assured that, in addition to the strike, they will carry out a mobilization from Uruguay and Florida to the headquarters of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
“All State services linked to the Central administration and decentralized services will be affected in their customer service,” the union said.
What is COFE demanding?
From the outset, the union has called the new medical leave regime implemented in April this year “illegal, unconstitutional and absolutely unfair.” Previously, the union even filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) a complaint against the new law.
For his part, the general secretary of COFE, Joselo Lopez, He criticised the fact that the collective bargaining stages with the union were not complied with. “Far from correcting a situation, which was what the government proposed to bring the private sector into line with the public sector, it creates more inequalities,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, they also claim that the old regime still holds political power. “The political system clearly does not have the same regime as the rest of the public officials,” the leader commented.
The complaint to the ILO
Two months ago, after COFE denounce the Uruguayan State before the ILO for what they consider a violation of six international conventions from the implementation of the new medical leave regime, the director of the National Civil Service Office, Ariel Sanchezreported that the negotiation sessions will take place in the country.
These will be given through the mediation of the organization of the United Nations, authorized to interfere in the conflict to seek a conciliation between the parties following the presentation made by the union last Monday, in Geneva, Switzerland; within the framework of its 112th Conference.
According to Sánchez, this is “an administrative instance before an international organization” that occurs after the different stages that the claim has been going through at the national level, and which culminated with the nullity action at the national level. Administrative Litigation Court and the action of unconstitutionality before the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ).
“We understand that there is no violation of any international agreement, and that the subject matter of medical licenses, to the extent that it is a statutory regulations, It is up to the corresponding power of the public administration to establish the conditions,” said the director of the National Civil Service Office.
However, he assured that the State has communicated with COFE “as usual, as always.” “We were aware of the filing of the complaint and we will continue to communicate,” Sánchez insisted.
The regime of controversy
Until April of this year, public officials were not deducted money from their salaries for certifications. With the modification, they will be entitled to a maximum of nine business days paid leave due to illness or accident.
In addition, they may be requested alternately or consecutively for a period of one year. From the tenth day they will have the right to subsidy, which will be an amount equivalent to 75% or 100% of the salary, depending on several factors and every January 1st the number of available days will be renewed, which do not accumulate from one year to the next.
With this, from COFE They claim that there are a total of six ILO conventions that are not being complied with. The first of these is ILO Convention 151, which relates to labour relations in the public sector. In addition, Convention 95 is linked to wage protection, and Conventions 98 and 154, both related to unionisation and collective bargaining. The last are Conventions 155 and 161, which relate to the safety and health of workers.
Source: Ambito
