Court, protest and mobilization at the Obelisk to demand an increase in the minimum wage

04/27/2021 7:52 AM

• Clarín.com

• Society

Updated 04/27/2021 8:18 AM

Tuesday began in downtown Buenos Aires with a total cut off of circulation in the northern direction of Avenida 9 de Julio with a concentration on Avenida Corrientes, at the height of the Obelisk, due to a protest by left-wing organizations. 

Within the framework of the

Salary Council

meeting

, the New MAS, the December 18 Union Current and the Young Precarious Workers Group gather in the Obelisk to demand an increase in the minimum wage. 

According to the protesters,

at 10 in the morning they will mobilize the Ministry of Labor on Corrientes avenue and Leandro N. Alem avenue

and after 11

o'clock they

will take the protest to 9 de Julio avenue and Belgrano avenue, in front of the Ministry of Social Development Nation .

At the moment, the Metrobus is working normally. 

Manuela Castañeira, national leader of the New MAS, declared: "It is unacceptable that the minimum wage, which marks the bottom for all workers, is a pittance that does not exceed $ 22,000, practically on the line of destitution."

In that sense, Castiñeira claimed: "A

200% increase

is necessary

that takes the minimum wage above $ 60,000

, advances against job insecurity and that all workers are transferred to the plant."

The leader also assured that "the actions are to make visible the historical rebellion that the self-organized health workers of Neuquén are leading and the

struggles of health personnel

throughout the country for wages."

"It cannot be that, within the framework of the second wave, misery wages are imposed precisely on those who have been on the front line against the pandemic for more than a year," he concluded. 

From the Left Front PTS, they maintained: "No one asked us how much we think the increase should be. They will define it within 4 walls. Or by

Zoom

. But they have already said that it will be like the parity that the Government and the IMF ask for. The bureaucracy has been signing: about 30% and in comfortable installments. They want the cooperative members to live with 13 thousand pesos. "

Salary advice

This Tuesday unions, employers and representatives of the Government and provincial administrations will meet within the framework of the Council of the Minimum Vital and Mobile Salary to define

what will be the percentage of increase that corresponds

.

The unions have already announced that they will ask for

an improvement of 40% and an agreement with a review in October,

considering annual inflation that will be well above the government's objective, which is 29%.

The percentage claimed by workers is also much higher than that of joint ventures that are closing, closer to 33%.

The CGT plans to request a raise of up to 40% and leave open the possibility of an increase in two tranches, while the CTA led by Hugo Yasky will raise the same percentage, but in a single installment.

The Government's intention is for it to be in three stages.

If the union's request is fulfilled, the minimum wage would become $ 30,240 once the raise is completed, which will surely be in installments.

On the other hand, if the discussion ends closer to the government's intentions, say, by 30%, the figure would be around $ 28,080.

The definition of the minimum wage speaks of "

the lowest remuneration" that a worker must receive in cash

"so as to ensure adequate food, decent housing, education, clothing, health care, transportation and recreation, vacations and social security."

But the definition doesn't always match reality: Today, the $ 21,600 figure is just $ 1,900 above the poverty line for an individual.

While the Total Basic Basket that must be accessed in order not to be considered poor is $ 19,700 for an adult and $ 60,874 for a household with four members, two adults and two children.

An increase in this sense also has repercussions on joint employment, labor lawsuits and on the social plans paid by the Ministry of Social Development: the Empower Work program, which grants allowances in exchange for job training and skills certification, provides a benefit equivalent to 50% of that remuneration.

JPE

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