The salary conflict continues on the railway network, which last Thursday caused severe delays for thousands of passengerss by a measure of force that consisted of the trains traveling at a maximum of 30 km/h. Now a new strike scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, has been confirmed and there will be no service for 24 hoursAs confirmed by the head of the La Fraternidad Union, Omar Maturano.
The strike will be carried out if the request for an increase that the train drivers are pushing to the Government is not resolved, given salaries that “have been frozen for four months.” “He Next Tuesday we are going to do a total 24-hour strike“, Maturano had anticipated in radio statements to several stations last week.. “We took protest measures to all governments if they did not give us what we deserve,” the union leader clarified at that time.
“We do not want salary increases, we want to match inflation, as we had been tying it with the previous government,” asked the head of La Fraternidad. Given the lack of responses, he pointed out the management of President Javier Milei: “This government told us no in December, in January as well; In February we went on strike. They gave us 12% for those three months and told us that in March they were going to do a total recomposition. They owed us 30-odd percent and in April they offered zero,” he reconstructed.
The union leader indicated that after the strike was announced, they were offered a increase of 2% in April and another 7% in May, payable at the end of June. But that proposal is unsatisfactory for train drivers. To date there has been no progress.
The measure of force promoted last Thursday by The fraternity was unusual and It caused significant complications, including doubling the duration of the trip and transfers. The formations of the Roca, Belgrano Sur, San Martín, Mitre, Sarmiento lines and the Coast Train They traveled at a maximum of 30 km/h. The scope of the union action also impacted the speed and functioning of the formations intended for the transfer of loads.
Through a press release issued that same day, the union reported that there was no agreement with the Secretariat of Labor, Employment and Social Security. “We are not willing to give away the salaries of railway workers”they declared from the organization by ratifying that the “Fight Plan” will continue its course.
Despite the fact that the railway conflict intensifies, the parties have already agreed with the Government to hold a new hearing on June 6 at 11, with the aim of reaching a conciliation.
Maturano In his latest statements, he was critical of the course adopted by the national State in the sector. In addition to the salary demand, the union member considered that “there is no investment or policy for the railway mode.” “We work without supplies, sometimes tying some objects with wire and that’s how we leave with the trains,” he noted.
“We are in a trap because we do not know the economic plan,” Maturano pointed out. According to his analysis, he stated that the railway companies have the same budget as in 2023, which will end at the end of June. The payment of staff salaries depends on these expenditures. “They said they were going to give money to mend, not fix. “We are facing a disinvestment process,” he lamented.
Faced with this, according to the leader of La Fraternidad, there is added concern because “we do not have any valid interlocutor”. “Officials change all the time and when they come down (to negotiate with the unions), they do so without orders,” he concluded.
