The government of Buenos Aires province, headed by governor Daniel Scioli, has announced an agreement over salary rises with more than 138,000 regional employees, and urged striking teachers to end their actions which have led to classes being suspended for seven days.
«Just as [the unions] requested, we prioritised those sectors of lowest incomes in order to keep salaries’ purchasing power and that proposal has been accepted today,» BA cabinet chief Alberto Pérez affirmed.
The deal, which will mean raises from 20 to 41 percent for workers in the province, ups spending by 19 bn pesos and covers 30,000 health auxiliary workers, 60,000 non-teaching education workers and thousands more administrative employees as well as those working in water and gas services.
Pérez used the example of the public sector staff to put further pressure on teachers, whom he said should take a moment to reflect on their actions.
«[The offer] has been adhered to responsibly by every single worker. We wish to thank them, and call for reflection from the teachers, that they adhere to the mandatory conciliation so we can return to the negotiations, which are an achievement by the national and provincial governments but also by the workers,» he emphasised.
«We need to sit back down and get classes started in the province.»
The minister also confirmed that vice-governor Gabriel Mariotto would be presenting a law declaring education an «essential public service,» in order to stop the strike.
«This is the time to start the debate over whether it is necessary to establish education as a fundamental, essential service. We will do so overturning a law from Felipe Solá that took away this idea,» he revealed.
buenosairesherald.com