Pilots, crew and cargo workers of Argentine Airlines mobilized en masse in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires to express their rejection of the privatization of the flag carrier. This protest had the support of unions from the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the Central de Trabajadores de la Argentina (CTA), and took place while the deputies were debating the privatization project in the plenary session of the Transportation and Budget committees.
The mobilization is part of a context of growing tension between the government and workers. Argentine AirlinesThe current administration has argued that privatization is necessary to reduce the fiscal deficit and improve company efficiency.
However, workers and their unions maintain that this measure will not only put their jobs at risk, but will also negatively affect the quality of service and the country’s air sovereignty.
The protest was organized by several unions, including the Airline Pilots Association (APLA), the Argentine Association of Flight Attendants (AAA), the Association of Aeronautical Personnel (APA), the Union of Senior and Professional Personnel of Commercial Aerospace Companies (UPSA) and the Association of State Workers (ATE) of the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC).
These unions have been on alert since the privatization project was announced, and have carried out various actions to make their opposition visible. During the demonstration, several union leaders took the floor to express their rejection of privatization.
Pablo Biró, head of APLA, said that “the government wants society to get angry in order to justify, as in the 90s, the privatization of the line, which left us with catastrophic consequences.”. Biró referred to the privatization of Argentine Airlines In 1990, during the government of Carlos Menem, there were already problems that arose after the sale of the company to Iberia and later to Marsans.
Hit and run
For his part, Juan Pablo Brey, secretary general of the AAA, described the privatization decree as “the most serious violation of the National Constitution and the separation of powers since the restoration of democracy.” Brey stressed that the measure not only affects Aerolíneas Argentinas workers, but also puts at risk the safety and quality of air service in the country.
In addition to opposition to privatization, workers at Argentine Airlines They are also in conflict with the government over wage issues. Andrés Junor, union secretary of Aeronavegantes, explained that “airmen’s salaries, since November of last year, which is when our collective bargaining agreement closed, have lost 80 percent of their purchasing power.” The workers are demanding a salary increase to compensate for the loss of purchasing power due to inflation and the devaluation of the peso.
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