The expectation that this Thursday The national government offering an improvement in salaries weakened the support for this strike in some public universities. Tuesday and Wednesday, according to union sources. In the Buenos Aires’ UniversityFor example, they claim that in several faculties the measure of force was not felt, given that they did not have the participation of ADUBA, the majority teachers’ association. On the other hand, the strike was stronger in some universities in the provinces, including the largest ones, such as Córdoba, La Plata, Rosario and Tucuman.
The guilds grouped in Union Front of National Universities They hope that this Thursday, June 6, the national government will make a proposal that will allow them to improve salary situation of teachers and non-teachers. So far this year, university salaries have accumulated a loss of more than 40% of purchasing poweraccording to figures released by the Trade Union Front and by some institutions, including the UBA.
The promise of bringing forward a proposal for a solution to the salary claim was made by the Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovelloin the university joint meeting last Tuesday, May 28, according to what was reported by the unions.
In that meeting, in which the Undersecretary of University Policies also participated, Alejandro Alvarez, “the demands of university workers regarding salary loss in the face of inflation and the restitution of the FONID, among other claims, were transmitted to the officials,” the unions said in a statement. And they assured that Pettovello – who that day participated in the joint meeting for the first time – committed “to discuss the demands with the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputoand to give a response on Thursday, June 6.”
“The strike was very important in all the country. It had an adhesion of more than 90% in many national universities in the interior, such as those of Río Cuarto, Villa María, Tucumán, La Rioja, Formosa and Catamarca. There was also high compliance at the universities of Córdoba, La Plata, Nordeste, Quilmes and Tres de Febrero. At the National University of Rosario there was a total strike,” he listed. Carlos De Feogeneral secretary of Conadu, to Infobae.
On the other hand, the measure was not felt in some UBA faculties such as Medicine, Law and Economic Sciences, while it did have support from the teachers of Exact Sciences, Social Sciences and Philosophy and Letters, stated Conadu.
From ADUBA They assured that all faculties were open. “We consider that while the joint agreement is being negotiated, there is no strike. “Minister Pettovello committed to having a consensual response this Thursday,” he explained. Emiliano Cagnacigeneral secretary of the association, which is part of the FEDUN federation.
The meeting announced for Thursday has not yet been formally summoned. “So far, we do not have any official information that there will be a meeting with national officials tomorrow,” De Feo said. Official sources consulted by Infobae They did not confirm it either.
In the event that there is no offer on Thursday that improves the salary situation of teachers and non-teachers, Conadu plans to continue with measures such as “visibility dayspublic classes and other activities within universities.”
From FEDUN they reported that this Friday, June 7, there will be a plenary session of general secretaries in which they hope to evaluate the salary offer that should arrive on Thursday. “In the event that it is insufficient, a meeting will be convened. 48 hour strike for the week of June 10 together with FATUN and other teaching unions,” they anticipated.
Last week the Government reached an agreement agreement with national universities regarding the inflation update of the operating expenses, which represent 10% of the university budget. However, there was no agreement on the parity, where the Ministry of Human Capital negotiates with the unions the percentage of updating the salaries of teachers and non-teachers, who represent the remaining 90% of the budget. The last offer, rejected by the Trade Union Front, was from 9% in May.
During the current government administration, teachers and non-teachers accumulate a salary update of the 61.4%, according to data from Conadu. Meanwhile, accumulated inflation since December exceeds 100%. According to figures released by the unions, so far this year, university professors they lost between 40% and 45% of their purchasing power.
“We are asking the Government that, just as it recognized the delay in operating expensesnow recognize the salary arrears. We want the more than 40 point salary drop to be recomposed and, from now on, to stop losing to inflation,” Cagnaci said.
The universities denounce that this year the salary of university professors had an update lower than the increase in salaries of state workers. From the Trade Union Front they warned that “the university conflict remains open”, while “more than a half of teaching and non-teaching workers are below the poverty line“, a situation that “did not happen more than 20 years ago.”
