MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Instead of pressing for re-election why don’t you press to solve conflicts peacefully?

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez and ally/rival Moyano

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said on Tuesday that “instead of so many people supporting me for re-election” she prefers cooperation so conflicts and disputes can be solved without applying the sort of pressure that only makes matters worse.

“I’d rather they help me in a more forceful way, so problems can be solved without applying a kind of pressure that only creates conflict. This isn’t good for the economic sector” said the Argentine president at Government House, a statement that seemed to be aimed at CGT Labour Confederation leader Hugo Moyano.

The President called on organized labour and business people to maintain “rationality” and “harmony” during negotiations, as she also asked companies to “keep investing” in the country.

“Some believe that harmony means no discussions or debates. I can think of many ‘harmonic’ but terrible times in recent Argentine history. I believe in harmony. I believe we can reconcile our interests rationally and sensibly” insisted the Argentine leader who made the comments during the announcement of a major shale-oil discovery by YPF.

Regarding the ongoing debate over the profit-sharing bill, Mrs Kirchner said that collective wage bargaining “is the ideal venue to discuss revenue sharing”.

“It’s important for workers to find a venue in which they can focus their legitimate demands, making sure that those demands do not affect the rest of society,” she underlined.

These issues must not be dramatized but neither submit the rest of society to a hostage situation, because sometimes I see that those who enjoy stable and registered jobs suddenly are threatening the rest of society if they are not given this or that”, said Mrs. Kirchner.

Finally the president again reaffirmed the current (Argentine) economic model as she has been doing in most of all her political rallies. “We must continue working in that direction because no matter how much they shout and threaten they won’t make us change course”. She added that when “discussing interests it must be done with common sense and intelligence so the discussion of those interests don’t end up destroying the interests of everybody”.

Analysts agree that Mrs. Kirchner’s strong message had a target, the leader of organized labour the powerful head of the teamsters union and political ally, Hugo Moyano who has not made a secret of his presidential aspirations in four years time. As an ally of the Kirchners since they took office in 2003 Moyano has been given control of most of unions’ social funds equivalent to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Moyano is also calling for the re-election of President Cristina Fernandez with the Vive-president slate filled by one of his main advisors, lawmaker Hector Recalde. Furthermore he is insisting organized labour has a seat in corporations’ boards with access to confidential information to ensure “profit sharing”.

On May fist Labour Day celebrated Friday April 29th, Moyano organized a 300.000 people rally in downtown Buenos Aires in support of the re-election of Mrs Kirchner, but also underlining the power he wields.

In effect with a well organized and oiled teamsters union Moyano is capable of bringing Argentina to a standstill, and has given evidence of such power.