MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Organized labour insists in sharing presidential ticket with Cristina Kirchner

Lawmaker Hector Recalde and head of the organized labour deputies block in Congress

Argentine organized labour continues to put pressure on the government insisting that a representative from the unions should be in the presidential ticket with Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner who is expected in the coming weeks to announce her re-election bid for next October elections.

Lawmaker Hector Recalde who is also an ally of the powerful unions leader Hugo Moyano, plus head of the organized labour block in Congress said that not only would he be “thrilled” to be the vice presidential candidate for Cristina Fernández but also that he has no doubt that this will in fact be so.

“I have no doubt that I’m going to be the vice presidential candidate,” said the CGT Labour confederation lawyer during an interview with a local newspaper. “I’d be thrilled,” he added. However, Fernández de Kirchner has not even announced yet whether or not she’s going for a second term.

“It is only logic that if we the workers are majority of the Argentine people, a union leader should be running for the presidency but they have self excluded themselves”, pointed out Recalde, who nevertheless said organized labour wants him in Cristina Fernandez presidential ticket.

With regards to the strike announced by the Truckers’ Union last week, scheduled for Monday but hastily cancelled, Recalde said that the measure “wasn’t set against the government,” something that was made clear once “it was lifted” as soon as “the issue was cleared up.”

“Moyano himself asked that the strike be cancelled after thanking all of the employees who showed their solidarity,” said Recalde. He added that the measure was announced as a show of force “against the mass media, which has been attacking Moyano for quite some time now”.

The media is working for powerful groups that are seeking to “debilitate the government of Cristina Fernandez and break the strategic alliance” with the unions said Recalde who added that the alleged probe by the Swiss Justice (for money laundering) against Moyano was “nonsense” and had no sustentation.

“It is clear that President Cristina Fernandez, the government and the workers’ movement enjoys a strategic alliance because there is a coincidence of objectives and a communion of ideas and convictions”, said Recalde.

Meanwhile Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández expressed that the Government’s relationship with the CGT, “is the same as always”, even after the threat of a transport strike had been issued, which eventually was lifted.

“It’s not good or bad, it’s just about where it should be,” indicated the Cabinet Chief in a press interview while commenting on the relationship between the Government and the CGT confederation after the planned transport strike for Monday was lifted by union leader Hugo Moyano.