Argentine oil crushing industry workers reached over the weekend a much disputed salary agreement, ending a 26 day strike, and hopefully resuming activities which have paralyzed the Rosario cereals and oilseeds stock market and forced a queue of over 140 vessels and barges along the Paraná river.
Argentine Economy Minister Axel Kicillof has assured that the government of president Cristina Fernandez is not seeking international financing despite current economic problems, since it has foreign trade surpluses and all the foreign exchange needed to face debt maturities.
Argentina's Labor minister Carlos Tomada said that it is not a government’s priority to discuss the modification of the income tax or re-opening wage talks, as dissident unions demanded during a general strike on Thursday which partially paralyzed Buenos Aires city since several transport unions joined the stoppage.
A major conflict could be brewing between Argentina and Brazil after Rio’s Vale decided to cancel a 6 billion dollars potash development project in Mendoza and the Argentine Labour minister issued a mandatory conciliation which actually impedes implementation of the closing down decision.
A major labour dispute is turning into an ugly conflict with the main Argentine dissident labour union challenging the government of President Cristina Fernandez and her latest policy of freezing supermarket prices for two months in a bold attempt to contain inflation.
The Argentine powerful organized labour unions, CGT is heading for a fracture from the moment two different congresses have been convened at different dates, one of them supportive of President Cristina Fernandez’ administration and the other entirely in the opposition.
Argentina’s powerful organized labour leader Hugo Moyano has sent another strong message thanking workers for “being loyal to him” at the same time his teamsters were granted a 24% rise in wages.