Cristina Fernandez forced to return to address a three-day teamsters strike
As Argentine president Cristina Fernandez was landing in Buenos Aires Wednesday night cutting short her international tour, Gendarmerie forces were clashing with striking teamsters at a major fuel refinery which is vital for the supply of gas to the province of Buenos Aires.
Shortly after landing at the Buenos Aires metropolitan airport in Buenos Aires the president met with members of her cabinet to analyze the three day long conflict which “could turn ugly” according to teamsters union boss Pablo Moyano.
Gendarmerie officers clashed with truck drivers as they tried to allow trucks to leave the premises and begin distribution in order guarantee gas supply in Buenos Aires province localities affected by the strike
Earlier on Wednesday Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo announced the Head of State decided to cut her international trip short.
Cristina Fernandez had arrived in Brazil early Wednesday morning to take part of the Rio+20 environment summit after having attended the G20 Summit in Mexico and on June 14 addressing the UN Decolonization Committee in New York claiming Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands.
Randazzo said he had informed President Fernández about the seriousness of the teamsters’ nationwide strike led by Pablo Moyano, who on Tuesday announced a strike on a nationwide level until Friday and refused to abide by the mandatory conciliation issued by the Labour Ministry.
Officials fear the strike could lead to several fuel and food shortages.
Pablo Moyano, vowed to send truckers to demonstrate at Plaza de Mayo, if security forces crack down on striking workers. “If they try to force us out, things will get ugly. We hope the government has common sense and doesn't do this,” Moyano told reporters.
On Tuesday Vice-President Amado Boudou, the acting president, vowed to use the anti-hoarding law if the distribution of fuel and other key supplies, including food are blocked. Truckers blocked petrol plants on Tuesday night.
Speaking in Rosario, after a Flag Day rally, Randazzo called the strike a “savage act” and said the President was returning to the country because of “the teamsters' disdainful attitude.”
The teamsters led by Pablo Moyano declared a national strike and ignored the conciliatory agreement order amid the conflict with freight companies, following the failure to reach a wage deal during conciliatory talks. The conciliatory agreement was supposed to be held in place for 15 days.
Hugo Moyano, the secretary-general of the CGT union umbrella group and Pablo Moyano father, on Tuesday night reacted to Boudou’s comments saying “we will not be scared, we will not retreat” in the salary demands.
Moyano said the Vice-President “did not apply the anti-hoarding law when legislators were granted a wage increase of 100%”. Speaking to a gathering at the CGT Moyano anticipated that “in the very near future, all workers will demonstrate for more jobs and for our rights”.
The teamsters are also demanding an end to wage income tax and to salary caps to collect family allowances. The Moyanos and Cristina Fernández were strategic allies since Néstor Kirchner, the President’s late husband and predecessor in power took office in 2003. But the President has been at odds with the teamsters since refusing to accept the CGT political demands for congressional candidacies before last October’s presidential elections.
Boudou said that the walkout “has no logic”. He added: “It’s not a question of seeing who is more macho.” But Pablo Moyano replied recalling that Boudou has “to prove that he is not guilty,” in reference to several influence-peddling allegations faced by the Argentine Vice-president.
Hugo Moyano said there will probably be an order from a judge to pressure workers back into their jobs, but “we hope that neither the Police nor the Gendarmerie do something to harm the health and lives of our workers”.
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Does anyone on here know more details about the strikers' demands? Because, to me, asking to be opted out of income tax sounds like one hell of an unreasonable demand!
I'm wondering if this is just poorly worded and that the income tax and salary cap points relate to the family allowance collection - rather than just demanding an end to income tax on their wages.
If not then I've finally found an issue in which I'd support CFK. That can't be right.
It's about time Argentinian population as a whole had a good look at itself in the mirror.....the sight is very not pretty. Your nation needs more assets than good footballers to be economically sustainable.....it is clear that your nation is economically and morally bankrupt.
Perhaps, your politicians, union leaders and business operators could start by attending some ethics classes about what is fit and proper behaviour.
No doubt to divert attention away from this, there'll be another swipe at the Falklands, or maybe she'll steal another company, 'cos none of this is her fault, honest!
Perhaps she needs to accept that as President she is the highest authority in the country and the buck stops with her. Instead of galavanting around the world on a meaningless crusade, she should've been sorting out the problems at home.
Now it's too late.
This is a perfect example of stagflation. However, stagflation is normally happens as a result of one set of circumstances such as workers demanding massive increases in line with inflation. The other sets of circumstances are rigid currency controls and rigid import export restrictions. Normally you only get one of these. Here we have all three at once, a perfect storm.
On the other hand , it could just be a strike about wages . All the government's fault for lying and trying to fiddle the official inflation figures .
“forced to return” AHHHAAAAAA HAHHAAAAAA (sorry Argentina she was too busy flashing her eyelashes than to deal with important domestic matters.)
“We hope the government has common sense” HAAAAHAAAHAAA
(yeah,good luck with that)
Amado Boudou-introducing anti-hoarding law ”OOOHAHAAAAAA hAAAAAAA (insanely hypocritical)
Demonstrate for more jobs and rights? HAHAHAHAHAH (sorry, your Govt isnt hot on rights)
Vice-President Amado Boudou”It’s not a question of seeing who is more macho.” AAAAHAHHAHAHAHA (I would love to see his CV for that job)
this is for you Arg trolls - YOU ARE FINISHED!!!!! ..... :D.... malverino01.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH........ HA...
This is how Kirchner stays in power. Political corruption Kirchner / Argentina style. And they say “oh we won by 54% of the vote”, well how much of that 54% was purchased by the Kirchner gang and how many actually voted without getting a few pesos in hand?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyPC0SD0PGw
That's punitive - $1200 is about £765 or E955. Less than UK minimum wage.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
I hope they finally elect someone that will take a long term view of the country and fix it once and for all. History tells me they won't and they'll get someone just and dumb and corrupt as the Ks.
more of the same im afraid.
20. Sons of unpopular RG rulers tend to have accidents...
A little blood in the streets and Cfk will be on the next plane to Venezuela...
Only ALL the Brits and Yankeeboy!
The grin is getting wider as I read in todays Telegraph about the Argie Embassy in London contacting the Welsh 'freedom fighters' for support over the mythical Malvinas!
Just when you think it can't get any worse for the Argies, IT DOES! Ha, ha, ha, ha.
bahahahahaa
I don't think the merry widow can hadle this stress... this is what happens when your support is bought and you run out of money.
I also heard RGs Embassy folks begging with US corps with ISCID judgments to take bonds so they can get their trade preferences back...funny I thought Toby told me the trade preferences were small and irrlevant...
BTW I think the US corps (politely) laughed in their faces.
correct Yankeeboy Between 60 and 70 percent of petrol stations in the province don’t have any more stock and by midday they will be left without fuel supply.
Jun 21st, 2012 - 06:46 am
The teamsters are asking for a 30% increase in wages and a bonus of between ARS$3000/4000 to cover the Capital Gains Tax that they are forced to pay.
Argentines in general are paying something like 60% of their incomes in taxes, mostly hidden taxes such as 30% inflation.
The Government has stated that they are going to fine the union 4,000,000 pesos for this acti0n. They have also issued proceedings against Moyano (father and son). Can anyone explain what the deal with this is? Are they criminal or civil...are they even able to do this?
R.I.P.
They try to take legal action against anyone investing in the Falklands oil and how did that work out for them... They treat them like fools with empty threats ... because they are very worried about this situation..
They won't because all of the K's will carry on with their support. Furthermore, CFK has spent a great deal of time trying to villainise Moyano over the last 6-12 months, this combined with the obligatory speech given from the Casa Rosada (complete with picture of Evita in the background) will convince a number of those in the middle that this is Moyano's fault. This will be backed-up by the fact that they haven't got any access to services. It will need a couple of these types of events for people to see an obvious pattern and the same excuses from the Government before things turn...anyone think otherwise?
“We were just able to see images of a petrol tanker being driven by a border guard, loading fuel in a total military-like way, surrounded by guards. It showed us an image of a military dictatorship.”
You probably haven't read it - you should - it's a classic on CFK economics.
Jun 21st, 2012 - 01:43 pm
You are quite right. I believe this is the break point; if Moyano wins Kretina is finished, but if Kretina wins this round whatever happens to the economy she will be home and free until 2015, I don't think that the mid term elections will hurt her.
To be totally honest I fervently hope that the Moyanos take her to the cleaners.
I personally don't approve of the Moyano clan, but I certainly approve of Kretina and her troupe less.
Viva Argentina!
Fining and jailing union bosses is only going to aggravate the mob..
She has no idea what to do...she just looks weak and stupid.
I read an article that said there are pot banging protests just about every night now. The story of 2001 is repeating itself...
Watch to see what fat maxi-k does in the next 48 hrs.
Resignation is not on the cards, she won't do it as it would feel that she has failed Nestor. CFK is exhibiting all of the trademarks of Thatcher against the unions, she will dig in and fight, fight, fight.
The economic path they have taken is seen as a journey by CFK and her supporters and they are fervently in the belief that they HAVE to see it through, nothing else is acceptable. My prediction is that she will try and crush them and crush Moyano once and for all. The main difference between this and Thatcher is that (sorry if I inadvertently offend anyone here) but the unions in Argentina have 10x the balls of the unions in the UK. For those of you who have lived/live there, you know this. They can bring the country to a total standstill if they want to. It would seem that the immovable object is about to meet the unstoppable force...
Argentines you were warned you were in for a long cold,dark,hungry winter, enjoy it, I certainly am. :) ,bet you wish you could burn them flags now.
Muhaaaa Muhaaaaa
That is bad!!!
See where you are coming from but I reckon that they have it in their head that they have a divine right to office and also that they are 100% right. Anyone who has disagreed with her thus far has been fired. If there is blood on the streets then it will be blamed on the right wing trying to destabalise the government...then watch the sh1t hit the fan...
Am I missing something ... Argentinian politicians are being paid??? For doing what ??? The country is a disaster ... 30% inflation and politicians in denial.
Are you talking about the $US restrictions?
Also, if this continues are you right, we can expect to see marches in support of the government and clashes between unions and those supporters. This government originally saw their path as a struggle between left and right, good and bad. It is now seeing their path as a struggle between them and anyone who disagrees with them (those who disagree and then normally accused of being right wing or having subsequently sold out to the right wing). You are either with them or against them.
Helicopteros para todos.
The Unions see blood in the water, if she blinks and gives in it will only embolden the other unions.
There are no good solutions to this mess and I hope I am seeing the end of the K nightmare.
I hadn't really thought much about it - but for CFK to cut short a foreign junket there must be a grave risk to her leadership afoot.
Viva nutty trade unionists.
It was News International that took on the print unions. Quite right too. It was nothing short of a mafia organisation. They had virtually no public support.
It is different in Argentina because CFKC's government has always, actively spoken out in favor of the right to protest and strike. I remember her saying something like, 'it is not the policy of this government to stop protests'.
Do you think if the 50% of workers in Argentina paid on the 'black' contributed taxes, the burden on the rest of the workers would be less? This should have been tackled decades ago.
I expect we shall see CFKC wringing her hands and making mawkish speeches in her widows weeds to try to keep the people onside. If she loses them, she is gone.
I think that the teamsters will get together with several other unions, especially the public employees and teachers.
I'm afraid that there WILL be blood in the streets, Kretina has to try and face down the Moyanos, that means violence. With just one driver dead all hell will break loose for the government, and the next step would be civil war.
I sincerely pray that someone in government will put a stopper on Kretina before we get to that, but I don't have much hope.
Hi Simon, hope all is well. Not saying that there won't be blood on the tsreets just that I expect to see a massive and highly organise backlash of support for the government by the usual suspects and then things will get really hairy. How are things in Neuquen? Are the strikes having any impact near you?
So far the only problem is the lack of fuel, otherwise all going swimmingly, good snow on the mountains and main gas is holding out so far.
A lubricious Saturnalia kicked off here.
Good, glad to hear things are ok. It is fundamentally important that main gas holds out. It would be totally unacceptable if the Neuquen bodegas lost their power...
On the contrary my emulous epigone, I am basking in the lambent glow of the gloaming suffising the offing of my journey into my future.
If it makes you feel smarter than me. :)
but while there's moonlight and music and love and romance,
lets face the music and dance”.
“Before the fiddlers have fled............accompanied by pot banging cacerolazo.
To quote Professor Stanley Unwin ”Joy,deep joy,chickies roostey home come to”
Ref: youtube professorstanleyunwin.
“there WILL be blood in the streets”
“To be totally honest I fervently hope that the Moyanos take her to the cleaners”
Are death threats to the PM punishable in England “Simion” ?
www.atributosurbanos.es/en/terms/villa-miseria/
As I have been saying for a while...brrr it's cold this year.
A couple dead truck drivers should bring this maniac (literally) down pretty quickly.
Anyone want a bet if they have, 5, 6 or 7 Presidents next week? hahahahaha
Lets put that quote in context, Mike, I don't think there is any death threat to Cameron.
@52: “I'm afraid that there WILL be blood in the streets, Kretina has to try and face down the Moyanos, that means violence. With just one driver dead all hell will break loose for the government, and the next step would be civil war.”
Ah, you mean the President, no there isn't a death threat to Kretina either, Mike.
Poor Yank.
Long live the progressive government of Kretina Kirchner. So now the heroes are the military once again (1976???) and the enemy are the workers.
No wonder BK is absent!!!
PRINT PRINT PRINT
After all the verbal shit, propaganda and economic blockades the Falklands/UK have had to endure recently.Its nice to see Argentina endure blockades of their own. CFKs policies are coming home to roost. No sympathy. Karma.
Casa Lopez..I remember old dialogue between Think-Fred
Marcos Alejandro ?...one of the names of Think
betrayed yourself... thud .......you doltish ninny !
I remember as a child following the advice made by former argentine president Arturo Frondizi telling the argentinians to follow austerity.
Remember all past generations did not have fuel and the selection of food we all like to have, but they survived worst times.
I repeat I am very concerned about the bad economic times of my 2 countries, Argentina and the US ...without a quick recovery..Here in the US strikes threats are made by bus drivers asking for increase of wages and lower health insurance costs. Food is astronomically high, US citizens are riding bikes....
I REPEAT, IF SOME OF THE VIEWERS HAVE THE PERFECT ECONOMIC PLAN FOR ARGENTINA AND THE US....PLEASE STAND UP!
Are you one of the [ desaparecidos ] ?
Economic plan for USA , stop getting involved in unwinnable wars,stop blind support for Israel, costs a fortune and they will stab you in the back when it suits them and start another war.Stop buying Chinese goods make them yourselves. Sorted.
Argentina?-even God couldn't sort Argentina.You have all the natural resources, and the most inept and corrupt politicians. Saludos
@65 Nope. Cameron is a “grown-up”.
@74 How does one import povery? Does it come in containers or tankers?
@81 I've got an economic plan for the US. But I'm not telling you. I've also got one for argieland. DIE!
No, I am Susana Brown from the US, an argentinian very concern about the bad economic times of my 2 countries, the US and Argentina.
You are nobody.
Put me down for 30 lashes. On second thoughts make it 50, I'm a generous sort of guy. :o)
Wow 40% income tax on an income of only US$1200 per month.
CFK should be wearing a mask and gloves, because that is robbery. To give you an example next door in Chile the top tax rate is 40% as well, but on incomes over US$ 11,600 per month (no one gets this much). As for the truck driver who gets US$1200 p/m in Argentina, well if he earned that in Chile he would pay 5% income tax. He would also be deducted 7% mandatory health insurance, 0.6% unemployment insurance and he would also have to put 12% into his retirement savings plan (this is his own money compounding interest so one day he can retire with dignity). We have a good system that costs the state very little but gives the worker the necessary protection. Remember we are not a ridiculously rich country like Argentina. The government is currently improving the whole tax system to lower even more the tax burden and increase the corp tax a little more.
DIE BIG BASTARD!.... ...TO PROTECT conQUEERRRR YOU ARE THE ON THAT REMOVE @92 ....COWARD ASSHOLE...
WHAT ARE YOU ..AFRAID OF WHAT?...DIE BASTARD1.... DIEEEEEEEE!
Meanwhile the likes of Elaine simultaneously praise Thatcher (and Murdoch!) while crying crocodile tears for the workers of Argentina out of sheer opportunism, while gloating that they are more likely to beat Cristina precisely because she is kinder than Maggie and has always defended the right to protest and strike, unusually so for a ruler actually. This mentality which is really nothin but the scenting of blood is alien to the real workers movement and I hope and pray Moyano is quickly sacked by his rank and file and replaced with a Cristinista, or at least someone who believes in solidarity.
I do for once hope Simon is right though when he says at #34 “if Kretina wins this round whatever happens to the economy she will be home and free until 2015, I don't think that the mid term elections will hurt her” Just hope she wins then, and since this article went up its been going better already with the end of the strike =)
Finally I'd like to say that her early return shows that Cristina is, contrary to your claims, a responsible and hands on President. I do hope she got some shopping done in New York though, she deserves a bit of pleasure in her life amid all the hard work for her people
I hardly think Conqueror needs or wants any protection, I would love to know what you said in that post.
You need to take some estrogen pills, dried up old women after a certain age become depleted and need to replenish that hormone. Oh yes, I forgot, the two countries you claim citizenship in don't have free healthcare do they? I guess you will either have to pay for it using the money you made on tips being a chambermaid or continue on in your increasingly annoying dementia.
Looks like I finally got to you judging by your latest post!
I DON'T WORK, I DON'T NEED TO WORK....I AM ENJOYING LIFE..
There is no comments made by you or ConQUEEERRRRR that will degrade me...I told you that many times.!..ConQUUUEERRR is pretending to be somebody but he is not....he is a COWARD degrading my country, the argentine leader and argentinians....HIS FRIENDS in ARIZONA BAKE THE CORNISH PASTRIES FOR A LIVING....HAHAHA..NOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAID?
I don't understand the cornish pasties reference, please enlighten me!
www.nostate.com/2973/five-hundred-billion-dinars-do-you-have-change-for-this/
Mr BK you have put your faith in a false god, all politicians are the same, corrupt, pathetic, opportunistic and manipulative. I'm afraid your beloved Cristina is no exception. She will serve her time, people's live's won't change much at all and then she will retire wealthy. It happens in every country on earth, there are no true statesmen/women anymore, the last true statesman in LatAm for example was Lula Da Silva, well at least in my opinion. There are't any more real statesmen/women like Churchill, Thatcher, Roosevelt, De Gaulle etc, for example so please sir don't put your faith in a career politician.
So what you are saying is that you are a pariah on society by sitting back and doing no work, while the hard working tax-payers, pay for you? Pathetic much.
Anyway in regards to the news article, CFK is getting close to the end of her disasterous reign as President. Soon the downtrodden, HARD-WORKING, people will rise up and oust her. With any luck, she won't be able to make it to the helicoptor in time, and then they can really show her the meaning of justice.
You are the worst kind of socialist - a hipocritical one.
CFK has destroyed the economy of Argentina, and all those downtrodden workers are the ones who have to pay, with higher taxes, high inflation, restrictions on their freedoms etc...
And what does CFK have? At least US$ 3 million in the bank (that she admits to anyway), and probably a lot more squirrelled away in overseas bank accounts.
If CFK was truly for the people, a true socialist, then she would give away her money to the poor people, proving she stands with them shoulder to shoulder in poverty.
But like all socialists and communists, she tells the people what they should have and what they should be grateful for, but don't follow those rules herself. I bet she's never gone hungry in her life.
But CFK isn't a socialist is she? Oh no, she is more like a fascist, and if she brings the Army in to break up the demonstrations, it will be the final nail in her coffin.
You BK are a sad socialist wanna be. Communism and socialism don't work, and never have, because human nature won't allow it. So people lead and some people follow. Some people work hard, and some people are lazy and refuse to work. Whats equal about that? Whats equal about someone who claims to be for the poor, who stashes away huge sums of money for themselves?
Why should the hard-working people constantly pay for lazy ne'er do wells who think it's somehow their god given right to lounge around all day and expect someone else to always pay for them. That's you isn't BK, a lazy slob who's probably never done a decent days work in your whole life.
And when the poor and the downtrodden workers rise in Argentina, I truly hope that CFK and her corrupt, thieving government, get strung up in the streets as a warning to future governments as to what happens to thieves and liars.
Well said, sir.
Conqueror is one of the other names of “ Think ”.
Think is “ queer” version of her name
Conqueror is “ bawdy ” version of her name.
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