MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Organized labour relations with President Cristina Fernandez are ‘all suspended’

CFK says it’s time workers fight for rights and not for (aristocrat) privileges

“There are no contacts at all of any kind with the government, they have been all suspended” said on Thursday the Deputy Secretary of the Argentine powerful teamsters union Pablo Moyano when asked about current relations between organized labour and the administration of President Cristina Fernandez.

However the son of Hugo Moyano head of Argentina’s organized labour CGT who has had serious clashes with Cristina Fernandez, said he favoured the resumption of dialogue next February.

“We hope that next year we can resume discussions because we have several very important demands from CGT which remain unanswered”, said Pablo Moyano who added that “so far the government has not replied our demands on increasing the minimum taxable income; having workers share companies profits; the distribution of social funds and making universal a family salary”.

Moyano Junior also anticipated that the CGT board will most probably meet next February. The intention was to have a meeting in coming days but the announcement about Cristina Fernandez undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer postponed the event.

Likewise the Labour Policies secretary of the CGT Jorge Lobais admitted that the powerful umbrella union will call for a truce in their conflict with the Government, as Hugo Moyano was expected to call President Cristina Fernández and offer his support.

Lobais said the news about the President's condition were “a big blow” and when asked whether the President’s surgery and subsequent leave of absence would help improve the relationship with the Government, Lobais assured that “there will be a truce”.

“All of us are worried for her health. We wish her the best of luck in her upcoming surgery. God help her, because she will help us all,” Lobais added.

The lawmaker and head of the Judiciary Employees Union Julio Piumato revealed that Moyano would try to contact the President and find out more about her health issues, as tension between them is at its highest point in years.

“We have been very prudent and we have no intention of being confrontational with the President. We just have different viewpoints on different matters” said Piumato who admitted the President and Moyano have not talked for months.

However this week during her first appearance following the announcement of the cancer surgery, Cristina Fernandez again sent a few blows against Moyano.

“It is so much better to have rights and not aristocrats among those workers who live from their salaries”, said the Argentine president adding that (these aristocrats) “instead of fighting for rights they fight for privileges. We must begin establishing differences between rights and privileges”.

And in direct reference to the AFIP workers (the Revenue Service), judiciary and teamsters conflicts, Cristina Fernandez said “here we have the demands from some groups that make more money than the president; I think what we need is a sense of solidarity from those who have consolidated good, I’d say excellent incomes”.