The Single Union of Argentine Tire Workers (SUTNA), led by Alejandro Crespo, and the companies involved in the activity did not reach an agreement this Monday at the Ministry of Labor and They moved to a fourth intermission until next Wednesday to continue the negotiations and seek a solution to a conflict that has lasted several months.
The trade unionists ratified the continuity of the general strike and the blockades of the companies after more than seven hours of negotiations in the ministerial unit of Avenida Leandro N. Alem at 600 in Buenos Aires and agreed to a quarter intermission until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, as certified in the final act of the long day by the national director of Labor Relations and Regulations of the labor portfolio, Gabriela Marcello.
Due to the conflict, the three leading firms paralyzed their production -Bridgestone, Pirelli and Fate- while the Ford Argentina plant, located in the town of General Pacheco, stopped its two shifts on Monday affected by the lack of tires to equip the vehicles, spokesmen told Télam.
Industry sources also warned that a similar decision could be made by the Toyota automaker at its Zárate plant, in northern Buenos Aires, where the Hilux pick-up and the SW4 SUV are manufactured.
In the meeting of the labor portfolio, in addition to Marcello, the labor officials Marcelo Bellotti, Secretary of Labor; Gustavo Mariani, coordinator of the Federal Labor Council (CFT); Gladys Iemma, Director of Collective Bargaining; Ludmila Huerta, secretary of Conciliation of Department 3 of the portfolio, and representatives of the companies and the union.
Crespo, Eduardo Mansilla (deputy), Maximiliano Bronzuoli (Gremial), Maximiliano Giordano (Organization), Leandro Gerez (Social Action), José Meniño (San Fernando sectional executive secretary) and Juan Anchaba (Merlo) did it for Sutna and, for Bridgestone Martin Basualdo; Carolina Ratusnu for Pirelli and for Fate Santiago Ferri.
“The measure of force is intact and, on Wednesday, there must be a response, because the companies are holding the country hostage, but the conflict will end with the victory of the workers”Crespo, head of the union and militant of the Workers’ Party (PO) said at the exit of the labor portfolio, and blamed the three companies for the situation.
The negotiations were accompanied throughout the day by militants from Sutna and other entities, who supported the union against Labor, which caused traffic circulation in that area of Buenos Aires and the Metrobús to be interrupted.
Crespo had ratified prior to the meeting the joint salary claims and better working conditions for the staff of the three companies and assured that the companies are going through “a very favorable economic moment”, while the Secretary of Industry and Productive Development, José Ignacio De Mendiguren had opted for an agreement because the conflict “is of great concern” due to its impact on the production chain and the paralysis of terminals in the automotive industry in general.
While the official asserted that the personnel of the sector receive “Very good average salaries and clauses of participation of the workers in the profits of the company”Crespo noted that the claim began more than four months ago and gradually deepened after 22 unsuccessful hearings with the companies.
The leader explained that the last employer offer was an improvement of 38%, although he pointed out that the inflationary projection is around 100 points, for which “the union called for an indefinite strike, which it ratified today, as well as the blockades” , at least until next Wednesday, when negotiations will continue.
Crespo also emphasized that “if they attempt to unilaterally break and impose parity, the entire labor movement must rise up; we are going to defend tooth and nail and with the strength of the tire worker to the end.”
“There cannot be a national (alluding to Fate), also the owner of Aluar, and two multinationals that come to try to break the collective bargaining; we are going to succeed because it is the only way that ends with this fight. We want to go back to work but with a decent salary,” Crespo cried out in a virtual assembly of workers in front of Labor.
For his part, the executive director of Fate, Javier Madanes Quintanilla, maintained that “behind the trade union conflict that keeps the plants in the sector paralyzed, there are political interests” and blamed “the Workers’ Party” directly.
“I cannot think that, in the general situation of the country, with the employment problems that exist, this is an exclusive salary problem, there are other reasons that have to do with power factors, to see how they are installed within the union system and within the political system, the price of all this is paid by the worker and the consumer,” Madanes Quintanilla stressed.
Fate’s businessman reported that “if Sutna had accepted the proposals made in the last five months, today an operator would be receiving a monthly salary of $400,000 gross, more than double the current salary.”
Given the extensive and serious conflict, the three companies involved in the activity decided to temporarily suspend production in Argentina, which also prompted the urgent summons to the parties of the Ministry of Laborbut this Monday no agreement was reached.
On Saturday, Bridgestone had announced the decision to “temporarily close” its operations in the country due to “protracted negotiations” with Sutna in the context of the 2021/22 peer review and in view of “the need to protect each person on the team itself.” and guarantee the integrity of the property”, while Pirelli denounced “the blockades to the plant for several days and the alteration of the normal flow” industrial.
“The nature of this methodology is illegal and profoundly authoritarian and anti-democratic, since it violates rights such as freedom of movement and work,” held the signature. Finally, these firms were joined by Fate, national capitals.
The union had denounced that the employers are trying to “de facto impose the closure of the joint 2021-22, totally ignore the claims of the workers and propose an insignificant increase for the period 2022-23 of 38%”, which Pirelli and Bridgestone denied. expressing that since last March they presented five salary increase proposals above inflation, to which “the Sutna insisted on raising the value of the hours worked on weekends to 200%,” they pointed out.
“The union requested that the hours worked on weekends be paid three times the value paid for weekdays, a system that does not exist in any industry, is not contemplated in the Labor Contract Law (LCT), in the collective agreement nor in the standard of working hours. All instances were rejected, “argued from the companies.
For its part, the union denounced “a violent anti-union and anti-worker policy” and situations of labor violence, which continued with verbal and physical aggression from the hierarchical, and warned that “the parity and employment conditions are now at stake.”
