Argentina organized labour leader again blasts the government
The Argentine organized labour CGT umbrella union leader Hugo Moyano once again blasted the government insisting he doesn’t understand the “fine-tuning” metaphor that President Cristina Fernández used to refer to subsidy cuts.
“When those types of phrases pop up the workers are the most affected” said Moyano on Friday referring to the president’s speech a day before.
Earlier in the day union boss Moyano shared a lunch with fellow union leaders including newspaper salesmen union leader Oscar Plaini and taxi drivers’ union leader Omar Viviani in the CGT headquarters which was open to the Buenos Aires media.
While addressing reporters, Moyano insisted that his union “always represented workers claims. That is our job and every time we have claimed we have had no replies” he added, regarding the increase of the income tax floor, family allowances, debts to medical insurance companies and scholar help, among other issues.
“We will keep on claiming,” he added and recalled that he sent a letter to President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and he is expecting a reply in the next few days.
Besides the political differences emerging from the landslide victory of President Cristina Fernandez last October ensuring her re-election which included a minimum number of candidates to Congress in representation of unions, Moyano is challenging the government’s suggestion that salary arrangements keep to an 18% roof and the profitability of each manufacturing sector.
On Wednesday President Cristina Fernández said that wage talks will have to take into account “the varying profitability levels of each sector” and announced the creation of a committee which will closely follow collective bargain.
Within an economic framework that appears more complex than previous years, the Argentine government intends to keep wage talks around 18%, while Moyano and fellow union leaders assure that wage hike can not stand below 25%.
“We will follow the supermarket index, the food prices index”, said Moyano in reference to the private sector inflation estimates, which are well above the official index from the national stats office, Indec with 9.5% for the 12 months of 2011.
On Friday the letter sent by Moyano to the Argentine president was released revealing some problems that increasingly concern workers such as the updating of family allowance payments; increasing the floor for income tax; non reported workers and others with the insufficient guaranteed by Spanish legislation.
The letter is signed by Hugo Moyano and addressed to Cristina Fernandez on January 31. Moyano also reiterated that he has had virtually no contacts with the Cristina Fernandez government for over four months, “relations are suspended”.
Suggested Stories
-
May 21st 2013
Argentines expect inflation to average 34.9% in the next twelve months
-
May 20th 2013
Brazil trapped by Argentina and Venezuela economic mismanagements
-
May 18th 2013
“Blue” dollar in Argentina picks up in last day of trading and reaches 8.95 Pesos
-
May 17th 2013
Argentina’s ‘autarkic project’ worsens bilateral relations and multiplies problems
21 comments Feed
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
Funny thing is though Cordoba can't afford to pay municipal wages now so how are they going to pay 18+% more after the raises are granted?
Chris were you there when they had Patacones? I think they may be back this year.
I have never had the 'pleasure' of visiting Argentina and until things improve I will most certainly NOT be going there.
I do however own a beautiful casa in Uruguay and my neighbours are Argentine and lovely people they are too.
My neighbour is a businessman in Argentina but I do not know for how much longer he can keep going with all the government meddling he has to cope with.
With regard to Patacones, they will be lucky to get even those the way things are going. Mind you, if they keep their value CFK will be confiscating those as well.
I just don't know why the 'usual suspects' Yuleno, O gaga, et al have to keep denying what people on the ground keep telling me. And now we have Old Smooth Neck herself saying inflation has been 29.5%. The truth ALWAYS has a way of coming out!
:o)
I have not been back for a year or so but I think I have to go sometime in the next quarter so it will be interesting to see how much has changed.
Last year I was shocked at the prices and there was a noticeable change in the menu offerings. You could definitely see that the avg person was having problems paying for beef and the restaurants had to substitute pasta.
BTW I love Uruguay, the people are very nice and it is beautiful. A few years ago I spent awhile traveling up the coast visiting all the little beach towns until I hit Brazil. It was really fun!
I can't wait until the IMF audit and reports on the last 8 years. It should be very interesting reading!
Let them eat pizza
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16082489
I think this is rather useful in explaining the gross misconceptions many of you have of Argentina, outside the cut-and-dry scholarly economic discussions where obviously, many of you make good points.
All I can say to that is what my neighbour cautioned me about with BA.
And that, as they say, is it.
“Mr. ChrisR” Argentinean neighbor has surely cautioned him about Buenos Aires……
Must be one of “Mr. ChrisR” neighbors at his Uruguayan residence….. (Jupppp…. He says he owns one :-)
Located surely in the Jet-Set retreat of Jose Ignacio where our other millionaire friend “Mr. Teaboy” may own propriety too….. (Jupppp….. He says he is a millionaire :-)
I can picture both entertaining our other high-class British Socialite; “Ms. EilaneB” and her many, many Argentinean friends at their Uruguayan mansions….. (Jupppp….. She says she has many, many Argie friends and she travels first class on British Airways :-)
Chuckle chuckle….. ”My best friend is a Jew…………….” Indeed
The first time I visited BA I described it as a a very wealthy and beautiful old lady who lost all of her $ a long time ago. What was once very nice is now frayed and broken. It is still beautiful but it's worn, rough and sad.
Arg outside of BA is really beautiful too! I go at least 1x year and I am due for a trip shortly. I have fun but I have U$ to spend and it make all the difference in the world. Most Argentinians are kept from enjoying what their country has to offer like the big fences that surround the rich people's houses. Its there but they can't get to it.
Well, rest assured, YOU will not be getting an invite.
12 yankeeboy
I hope you have bodyguard when you go next. You never know what Ogaga, Yuleno (haha), Snr Think and all the other cowards might do. If you need any help I will loan you my 4.5 in razor sharp bladed flick knife. :o)
I’m sooo envious of Ms. ElaineB´s Argie friends… (Especially Rachel, Monica & Phoebe. ;-)
I’m sooo envious of Mr. ChrisR´s Suzukawamaha Intercontinental Panhead 12 cylinder 6850 cc´s motorbike... (And his second residence in Uruguay. ;-)
I’m sooo envious of Mr. Teaboy2 immense fortune that he has mentioned to us no more than a couple of dozens times… (And his complete disregard for all computer spelling aids. ;-)
But……….. I’m not envious of Mr. Fredbdc, A.k.a. Yankeeboy at all ….. He´s just bad Karma. ;-(
Keep posting your fantastic life stories, dudes….
They are just fantastic.
Fantastic!
Chuckle chuckle®
Have you thought of seeing a doctor, you appear to have problems?
But, oh btw, I never had the “pleasure” to go there (oh my, I placed pleasure in quotations... now that didn't give anything away :) ), and never really met any of them... I just go by what an ex-pat said.
You are a well-centered person, but when it comes to Argentina, mainly Argentines, you are biased but worst of all, consider your lack of actually having been in the country an asset to judge the country. Fallacious logic.
Almost every human being that has ever visited another country and has told me about it, expressed great surprise that many things were not as he/she expected, that the preconceptions they held were either challenged or completely erroneous.
Yankee boy, please drop the plangent depictions. Most Argentines (80% in an actual survey), have travelled to at least two provinces outside their own in the last 5 years. You make it sound like no one can take a lousy vacation. Seriously, are all the vacation spots in Argentina filled with tourists the greatest conspiracy in world history? All payed actors? Argentines have always travelled, even in the toughest of times.
Same with the “beef” comment: Argentines can't afford beef, according to “Stick it up...”. Only he would make the argument a drop in consumption of beef in Argentines diet is a calamity... when Argentina remains the top beef consuming nation per person!!
His logic reminded me of this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=neLlBvN_D8k
I really don't understand why people here insist on paiting the country as derelict, when the reality things are not much different here from other countries of comparable wealth (Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Uruguay, Poland, etc, etc).
When I was contemplating where to buy my retirement property I looked at Argentina first (don't know why, but I did). Have you ever used the webcams available in Argentina? Please do so for those in BA (not that I would reside in a large city) and you will see very badly maintained pavements, sewer hatches missing down which adults and children could fall, masses of litter all over the place, etc.
Then I looked at the expat sites, several of them, to gain a practical insight to the country. It was not encouraging.
You may be right about Argentina but I could not afford the risk.
Uruguay on the other hand is everything Argentina is not, apart from the bullying neighbour problem. The bully of course is Argentina.
Then the Falklands nonsense started (there are no Malvinas) with O gaga, Pratt-Junta, Yukeno and all the other mindless 'representatives' of Argentina. Well I grew up from a poor, honest, family surrounded by wannabee gangsters (there were a few after WW2) who wanted to take what little we had. Although I was only young I was very strong and not stupid (like they were). Tackling them one at a time soon overcame the problems. I am certainly not intimidated by anyone as long as it is only one at a time.
But Argentina seems to want to involve everyone in a useless argument over something that was never theirs and will never be theirs. And you ask my why I dislike the GOVERNMENT of Argentina (not the mass of the people).
That's the answer, such as it is.
You are a hypocrit First Class. You sit in Scotland funded by my taxes and pontificate about me and moan that your country does not have a constitution like Argentina.
Damn right we don't and their 'model', everything has to be a 'model', is just what we don't want.
Tell you what, if you don't like the UK so much why don't you go to Argentina? PLEASE.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!