June 29, 2024 – 01:05
While a turbulent first quarter ends, which included a 48-hour strike two weeks ago and 72-hour days of “visibility of the university conflict” throughout the country, from Tuesday June 25 to Thursday June 27 and, two months after the Federal University March on April 23, from the Guild of University Teachers (GDU) denounce that the conflict over the budget remains open due to the lack of responses from the national government to the loss of salaries of teachers and non-teachers.
“There is no quality university without decent salaries,” the call states. Last Tuesday at 12 noon there was a rally in front of the Sarmiento Palace, headquarters of the National Education Secretariat. There, the leaders of the Trade Union Front delivered a petition to the authorities. The central point of the document was the request for “free collective bargaining,” in the face of a salary drop of more than 40%, according to union sources. The measures planned for these three days include public classes, assemblies and leaflet distribution in all national universities, the unions reported.
Fernando Morales, member of the CONADU Historica and member of the Guild of University Teachers, said that “we presented our statement of claim, the government has practically ignored that and we are arbitrarily given a 4% increase for all university teachers.” and university workers, which is insufficient, according to the country’s inflationary process.
“No one can deny the inflationary process that the working class is experiencing today. We consider ourselves part of that sector and the most vulnerable of all because there are university professors who are below the poverty line, they are earning 200 thousand pesos,” Morales continued.
Furthermore, in that sense he assured that more than 50% of teachers nationwide do not earn more than 800 thousand pesos, which would also be below the poverty line.
No return to classes
The union is considering calling a new strike when classes resume in August.
“We have been discussing, both internally and with other universities, the possibility of not starting the second semester or starting the second semester and going on strike for an indefinite period,” said Morales.
The CONADU representative explained the difficult task of teachers to continue with the normal activities of the institution in the context of definancing. “The chairs are functioning thanks to the efforts of the teachers, the same thing happens in the research projects and in the extension work,” he concluded.
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