Key week due to the union conflict in Río Negro

The province of Río Negro is going through a decisive week in the midst of a union conflict that does not give up. The Union of Education Workers (UNTER) today begins a series of sectional assemblies in preparation for this Tuesday’s congress, while tension with the provincial government continues to rise. None of the unions have approved the proposed salary offer and are already warning of possible forceful measures.

The conflict intensified after the surprise strike just over a week ago. The situation escalated even further with a new strike last Wednesday, after Governor Alberto Weretilneck rejected the joint strike requested by UNTER the previous Friday. The executive’s refusal to negotiate again and the decision to discount days not worked have aggravated the crisis.

“The forceful measure that UNTER decided on is due to the fact that the requested parity was rejected. “We require a true salary recomposition, in remuneration amounts and by position, that the approved agreements be fulfilled and the transfer of the thirty thousand pesos that remain from the 2023 parity to remuneration,” the union said. In addition, they highlighted that “the government is responsible for guaranteeing education.”

Governor Weretilneck, for his part, was forceful: “There will not be a new instance of negotiation and we are not going to liquidate the increase that UNTER rejected. Days not worked will also be deducted due to the severity and fundamentally the nonexistence of a conflict,” he stated, arguing that Río Negro teachers have “the best salaries in the country.”

In solidarity with UNTER, the unions gathered in the Public Service Council (ATE, UPCN and ASSPUR) signed a document in which they expressed their support for the teaching union and requested the reopening of salary negotiations. “We advocate dialogue and peacebuilding,” the unions noted.

It should be remembered that only ATE and UPCN were called to negotiate, while UNTER has carried out 2 days of strike in the last 3 business days. The union organization warned that could take extreme measures of force if there is no formal call from the Ministry of Education. Added to this is the decision of the educational portfolio to deduct the days not worked from teachers who participated in the days of protest.

The educational community and Rio Negro society are waiting for the decisions to be made in the coming hours, while the UNTER assemblies and the congress on Tuesday will be decisive for the future of the union conflict.

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