Education Minister, Alberto Sileoni.
The five main trade unions that represent school teachers across the country are to meet again today with the Government, in order to further their collective bargaining talks that began yesterday. The Education Ministry called the meeting, which is set to begin at 6 pm. The negotiations come at a crucial time for educators, as the new school term begins on February 28.
Unions have asked for a 28 percent hike in salaries, which would take the teachers’ minimum wage from $2,340 to $3000 pesos. They also said they hoped to discuss matters such as the income tax, which currently concerns the sector.
Representatives from the Confederation of Argentine Education Workers (CTERA), the Argentine Union of Private Teachers (SADOP), Technical Education Teachers’ Association (AMET), Argentine Teachers’ Union (UDA) and the Confederation of Argentine Teachers (CEA) are expected to attend.
Teachers in Santa Cruz have already considered the possibility of going on strike on Monday, if it happens that their wage demands are not met. This could indeed produce a knock-on effect with other unions in further provinces. The results of today’s meeting therefore are crucial to seeing how the new school year starts for students nationwide.
buenosairesherald.com