Teachers’ unions in Buenos Aires province have confirmed a national strike for next Tuesday after wage negotiations with the province’s Government failed during last week. The beginning of the school year remains on hold for thousands of children.
CTERA teachers’ union Secretary-General, Estela Maldonado, showed the union’s discomfort with the words of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who during the speech for the opening of the Congressional year launched a fierce onslaught against teachers currently resisting national government pay offers, accusing them of working four hours a day, nine months a year when they worked at all.
“The strike has to do with the government’s oneway position and attitude as they don’t want to open dialogue with us”, and added, “Plus it’s a way to respond to Education Minister [Alberto Sileoni] as most of the teachers’ unions of the country will join the strike in order to support the cause.”
Amidst tensions, Minister Sileoni had assured that “some teachers would strike even if they were earning 10,000 pesos a month.”
Last week in Buenos Aires province teachers completed a 48-72 hour strike on what should have been the first week back to school after the summer holidays. Teachers demand a minimum monthly wage of 3,100 pesos, and the union already stated that another 72-hour strike was already approved.
buenosairesherald.com