President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner received representatives of five trade unions and business chambers to sign collective salary agreements closed in the last 24 hours, sealing pay rises of around 27 percent in the sectors for the coming year.
The head of state, alongside Labour minister Carlos Tomada and Economy minister Axel Kicillof, met with members of the unions, representing a large number of workers nationwide, who had come to agreement after tense negotiations. The Metallurgical Workers’ Union (UOM), the National Civil Personnel Union (UPCN) which groups public sector workers, the Construction Workers’ Union (UOCRA), Commercial Employees and Building Workers’ Syndicate were the groups which signed pay raises.
After the encounter in Government House, union heads gave a press conference. Asked by ámbito.com about the conflict with bank workers, Tomada maintained that the union’s strike action was inappropriate.
«I am not in agreement with preventative strikes,» the Labour minister fired, pointing out that the group had yet to open negotiations.
With respects to the conflict with edible oil workers, on strike for more than two weeks, the politician vowed to «accelerate the negotiation and resolve it in the coming hours.»
Source: Buenos Aires Herald