Sergio Massa received a strong boost from the CGT on Wednesday, with an act full of praise at the headquarters of the labor federation. Co-Secretary General Hector Daer remarked that the Union for the Fatherland candidate sat in the same place as Juan Domingo Perón. And the Minister of Economy made a speech in a campaign tone of fear: "Behind is the attempt to take away rights, the attempt to raise the income tax as happened between 2015 and 2019 to two and a half million workers."
"The workers are fully committed to a path for workers in the development of our country. Therefore, we want to accompany, we want to work and we want you two to form the formula that represents the workers of Argentina," Daer began his introduction to Massa and Agustín Rossi, who accompanied him on stage.
Below was Eduardo "Wado" De Pedro, almost presidential candidate and finally candidate for senator for the Province of Buenos Aires. In addition, Hugo Moyano was in the front row.
"With the respect of the other comrade, we want to tell you that from the CGT we work a lot for the unity of the workers' movement and the political unity of the entire popular camp. Having reached this synthesis that includes us and commits us to seek a destiny, we tell you that here is the organized labor movement," Daer continued.
And he gave his word to Massa: "Today you are (in the CGT) as a pre-candidate for president of the Nation and you are going to speak from a place, from a place as important as the one that General Perón spoke."
Sergio Massa and Agustín Rossi in the CGT, with Héctor Daer. Streaming capture
The economy minister thanked the "support and accompaniment." And he said: "It is a mandate that is transpiring, that is emerging in every worker in Argentina. It is the mandate to understand that those of us who make up Union for the Fatherland believe in a single class of men and women, who are the ones who work."
He returned to the idea of "two Argentinas that are defined in elections," paraphrasing his running mate who spoke earlier.
The current cabinet chief also referred to the "campaign of fear." "We are not campaigning on fear, we are just repeating what they say. When Bullrich tells you that he is going to eliminate the compensation, he is telling you that he takes away a right. When Rodriguez Larreta said some time ago that you have to end paid vacations, he is taking away a right," Rossi said.
In that tune of the "two Argentinas", Massa, for his part, urged to transmit to "co-workers" and "delegates" the "concerns" that, according to his position, "are put into play".
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And he took up the words of his running mate: "Agustín Rossi proposed a roundabout that has a back and a forward."
He continued: "Behind is the attempt to take away rights, the attempt to raise the income tax as happened between 2015 and 2019 to two and a half million workers. To the back is the cut to retirees because ultimately those who compete with us today are those who carried it forward. Behind is the attempt of intervention of union organizations, as they already experienced between 2015 and 2019, to cut compensation and vacation benefits. "
Later, in a careful electioneering speech, he devoted himself to "what lies ahead," although without sparing criticism of the opposition.
"We know that there are disillusioned colleagues, or disappointed, because in these years due to the pandemic, the war, the impact of the drought or because we lacked determination, they may feel disappointment that wages did not recover as they should have been recovered," began that section.
And he pointed out: "There we have a first challenge: to take each other by the hand and defend the wage in the distributive bid, to put the State as a balancer of social relations and to push to recover income by fighting against inflation but also improving the salary of workers."
He took aim at the government of Mauricio Macri for the income tax. "In the campaign we did not promise to eliminate that tax, like other political forces that ended up with more than 2 million paying profits. We chose the path of recognizing that salary is not profit but remuneration," Massa said.
He went on to say that "for some subsidies are an expense" and called for considering changes in the world of work, with a strong message to employers.
"The table has to be stretched out understanding that there are no workers without a company, we have to understand it all, but also employers must understand that there are no companies without workers. And that balance is a balance the State has the responsibility to regulate, "he said.
And he doubled his words: "You will never see me, when there is a problem to solve, under the table. You will always see me putting my face, setting up the dialogue table and looking for the solution of the problems of the Argentines. You're never going to see me pushing workers out of the bargaining spot."
He urged his audience to serve in their workplaces, "with the ballot in hand," to win votes "against the Argentina of speculation and the living of the financial homeland."
"That on December 20 or December 30 they can look at the Government House and feel that they have a president of the workers. That's what I'm here for, to commit myself to you," said Massa, who asked "not to stop for a minute" until August 13.
And he concluded by emphasizing the anti-opposition tone: "Pain is behind and prosperity and progress are forward."
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