Feminists accuse the PIT-CNT of “crushing” the 8M with a Yes campaign

The decision of the PIT-CNT caught the attention of members of the Feminist Intersocial -which is not part of the union central- and also of the Vice President of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón, who in dialogue with Telemundo suggested that the strike should be changed to another date of the month since “international days are made for reflection”.

The unions, however, They rule out that this possibility was put into consideration.

The PIT-CNT had been analyzing for some time to support working women with a general strike on the International Day of Working Women. the only thing that is needed “It is the instrumentation of the form of unemployment”José Fazio, executive secretary of the PIT-CNT and member of the National Union of Transport Workers (UNOTT) told El Observador.

Prior to last year’s mobilization, the Feminist Intersocial had asked the Representative Table of the PIT-CNT for a 24-hour strike for women only. Due to disagreements between the subsidiaries, the general strike was not called, but the unions were urged to support the cause. In 2019, the request for a total strike was rejected, instead a partial strike was ordered. It was the decision of each union to allow women to make a general strike.

The Feminist Intersocial brings together twenty feminist groups that militate for women’s rights. The organization is in favor of the referendum, but left the Commission for the Yes since the collection of signatures.

And after the decision of the PIT-CNT to include proselytizing activities for the Yes in the framework of 8M, voices were raised from the feminist movement that warned about the “counterproductive” of mixing the different causes.

“The referendum is not a specific axis of vindication (…) and as feminists we do not lose our lives only in the LUC referendum”, Valeria Caggiani, spokeswoman for the organization, told El Observador.

Soledad González, a member of the intersocial, also expressed her discontent through Twitter. “The largest march in Uruguay is crushed by the union central. The limitation of the right to mobilize is imposed on us by the trade union center and not by the LUC”. González also criticized José Lorenzo López, vice president of the PIT-CNT. “The level of overestimation that exists is so great that Joselo (for López) believes that feminists are going to do what he says on March 8. If we don’t make it to the shantytown, get started without a problem,” he wrote.

Fátima Barruta, alternate deputy for the Colorado Party, said that if the PIT-CNT supports the cause with a general strike “it is because the purpose is different.” Batllista and feminist, when Barrutta was a deputy she presented a gender parity bill in parliament, which has not yet been studied.

Barruta said that the 8M is an instance that “convenes everyone” and that includes the men who attend to accompany the women. “The referendum cannot shake a struggle of so many years” as is the historical struggle for the vindication of women’s rights, even less “knowing that [para las mujeres] inequalities in access to power are real”.

The general secretary of the PIT-CNT, Elbia Pereira, argued that the LUC referendum is part of the feminist agenda due to certain articles that “directly attack” women, such as “those that have to do with the care or housing system”, since they have a direct impact on female heads of household.

Barrutta does not believe that the LUC violates women’s rights, “the law raises the penalty for rapists, how can I not defend that?” What’s more, celebrated the 125 adoptions finalized last yearwhich he linked in part to the law, and to articles included among those that are sought to be repealed.