Long distance travel out of Retiro coach station was halted today as union workers carried out a 24 hour strike.
The Labour Ministry issued a mandatory conciliation after the meeting held with UTA transport workers’s union authorities and transport companies representatives following the strike held on Thursday due to wage claims. The mandatory conciliation will be enforced for ten days ‘to guarante bus services.’
According to sources, the resolution «seeks to guarantee the services and continue with talks between UTA union representatives and company spokesmen to reach an agreement.»
The strike began at midnight on Thursday and affected over 1500 bus services in Retiro bus station only.
Tomada met with UTA directors Oscar Matta and Jorge Kiener and coach company representatives just after 12.30 pm.
Earlier today, a UTA union representative stated the “strike is in place in order to demand the proper payment of wages that we are owed.” «We are going to meet at the Labour Ministry at 12 today and if the 700 pesos per month are paid, the conflict will be lifted,» Mario Calegari stated.
Long distance bus services going out of Retiro bus terminal were suspended today, due to the UTA transport workers union’s 24-hour strike, union sources and coach companies confirmed.
The nationwide strike enforced since this morning, saw the total suspension of long distance bus travel, affecting thousands of passengers across the country.
Workers were demanding “the payment of the first of three 700 peso installments which the union had agreed on months ago,” UTA sources said.
“The strike is total, and no coaches have left Buenos Aires or Greater Buenos Aires since midnight,” the UTA spokesperson said.
“This is not a random undertaking, we have been demanding these payments since January and to be honest we haven’t received a positive response from the company. A provisional measure was suggested yesterday with them offering us $100 pesos per week per worker, and I felt as though this showed a total lack of respect for workers and passengers,” he added.
buenosairesherald.com