The Labour Ministry issued a compulsory conciliation for railway workers as one of the unions had threatened with a national strike for tomorrow.
The measure was confirmed by Secretary of the Unión Ferroviaria railway union Sergio Sasia.
We have decided to obey the mandatory conciliation ordered by the Ministry, and open a 15-day negotiation period in order to resolve this year’s collective bargaining talks who have expired on February 29.
Earlier today, the Railway Union’s Press Secretary Mario Rodríguez had announced a 24-hour strike for all train lines tomorrow as workers demand better salaries and a immediate improvement of the safety conditions.
“We know perfectly well that we have a lot of responsibility as we are in charge of transporting thousands of workers per day, but when on the other side you have a tight business position that refuses to listen the workers’ demands, we see no other choice than taking such measures”, Rodríguez told reporters.
During an early radio interview, the spokesman said “We [workers] have placed a request with our demands but so far none of the train companies have approached us with counteroffers.”
Likewise, Rodríguez gave a picture of today’s train system “not a single train runs safely in the country today, whether it is for passengers or a cargo train”,
To end, the spokesman said to hope President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner “to take some actions on regards the poor conditions under which all trains companies are working”, and concluded, “As with oil, railroads and train companies should be nationalized.”
Source: Buenos Aires Herald