As a turbulent first quarter ends, the Union Front of National Universities announced 72 hours of “visibility of the university conflict” throughout the country, from Tuesday, June 25 to Thursday, June 27. Two months after the Federal University March On April 23, the Sindican Front denounced that the conflict over the budget remains open due to the lack of responses from the national government to the wage loss of teachers and non-teachers.
“There is no quality university without decent salaries,” the call states. This Tuesday 25th at 12 noon There will be a rally in front of the Sarmiento Palace, headquarters of the National Secretariat of Education. There the leaders of the Trade Union Front plan to deliver a petition to the authorities. The central point of the document is the request for “free joint ventures”, in the face of a salary drop of more than 40%, according to union sources.
The Trade Union Front is evaluating the possibility of calling a new unemployment when classes resume in August. “These three days of visibility were resolved because the semester is ending and many universities have already entered exam dates. Until now we have had no response from the Government. Depending on how the situation continues, we will evaluate what measures to take at the beginning of the next quarter“, he anticipated Daniel Riccigeneral secretary of Fedun, to Infobae.
On May 28, the national government reached a agreement with national universities regarding the inflation update of the operating expenseswhich represent the 10% of the university budget. However, there was no agreement on the paritywhere the Ministry of Human Capital negotiates with the unions the percentage of updating the salaries of teachers and non-teachers, which represent the 90% remaining of the budget.
The national government offered the Trade Union Front a 4% update for June, which is added to the 16% granted in February, 12% in March, 8% in April and 9% in May. The joint committee has been meeting every month, but whitout deal. The recomposition of teaching salaries was one of the central demands of the Federal University March on April 23rd.
During the current government administration, teachers and non-teachers accumulate a salary update of the 67.8%, according to data from Conadu. Meanwhile, accumulated inflation since December exceeds 120%.
“The decision of the National Government to delay a response for the great salary crisis of teachers and non-teachers pushes to deepen the fight plan“, denounced in a statement the organizations that make up the Trade Union Front: Conadu, Conadu Historica, Fedun, CTERA, UDA, Fagdut and Fatun.
“The university situation cannot be resolved only by increasing the operating expenses (10% of the total budget) because the recovery of the salaries of teachers and non-teachers is missing and the scholarships that allow the student body to remain in the university and graduate,” the unions noted.
The budget conflict affects the 61 national universities distributed in the 24 jurisdictions of the country. The fall in wages has a direct impact on the 220,660 people who work in the study houses. Of this figure, 147,821 (66.9%) are teacherswhile 56,424 (25.6%) are non-teaching. The rest is completed by authorities and pre-university personnel, According to the latest official figures from the University Information Synthesis.
In June there were two university strikes, which added to previous measures in March and April. The last strike, on June 11 and 12, had the support of all the organizations that make up the Trade Union Front. “Without decent salaries and with 60% of teaching workers below the poverty line There is no public university possible,” they expressed from Conadu.
The rectors expressed their support for the demand of teachers and non-teachers. In a statement after the last strike, from National Interuniversity Council They expressed their “deep concern at the impossibility of finding agreements at the national level” that would allow resolving “the necessary and urgent recomposition of the salaries of teaching and non-teaching workers.”
“We demand the will and decision on the part of the national government to invest the funds that allow reverse the loss of purchasing power of wages within the framework of the inflationary process and we express our full support to the just claim of the workers of the universities throughout the country that are brought together in all the federations and associations,” the rectors noted.
