Formosa has been on a bus strike for thirteen days
and is far from finding a solution.
This Monday, Mayor
Jorge Jofré
asked for "zero tolerance" against the
"extortionate and violent methods"
of the workers of the company Crucero Sur, the only provider of the urban passenger service, who
occupied the communal headquarters
, blocking the central streets with buses. parked across the pass and
fought with municipal employees
over salary demands.
"The city, workers and neighbors are victims of
another cowardly and harmful maneuver for the common good
for which we work so hard," denounced the Peronist mayor.
Last week, Jofré was part of the
municipal heads who asked to roll back the decision to eliminate the Interior Compensation Fund, which financed transportation subsidies in the provinces.
After this measure,
protests and strikes began in the capital of Formosa
, due to salary demands that still had no solution.
The debt is for
"about 180 million pesos, for about 300 employees
," according to union sources told the Télam agency.
"Although the Deliberative Council had given us 37 million as part of the bonus, it is not enough and
we must eat
," they argued.
Faced with this, they decided to continue the strike until this Monday, when a reduced service was going to be offered.
However, a
new day of more virulent protests and cuts
took place .
"The governors
cannot attend to this essential right, which is public transportation
," had declared Daniel Passerini, mayor of Córdoba and one of the spokespersons for the group made up of Jofré, from Formosa, in the claim for the funds that the Nation decided to take away from the provinces. .
Tension in Formosa: bus drivers and municipal employees crossed paths over the erection of an awning in front of the Municipality.
Photo Diary La Mañana Formosa
Thus, despite recognizing the lack of money to meet the expenses of public transport and having declared the emergency of the sector at the beginning of the month,
Jofré charged this Monday against the Formosa bus drivers
, with a speech that resonates similarly in national spheres before the forms of protests.
"I am not going to allow
anyone to take hostage the people
who today had public transportation service as they had announced days ago and it only turned out to be
another fallacy disguised as a 'protest' measure
that undermines the trust of the people and damages peaceful coexistence." ", he stated on social networks.
"To those who believe that they will be able to
intimidate this Mayor with extortionate and violent methods
, I repeat that my commitment is to the people and the tool is dialogue, for that reason
zero tolerance
," he added.
Along these lines, the Transit Directorate issued
infraction reports to the buses that were crossed
in the middle of the street to cut off free circulation due to the strike.
Bus stoppage in Formosa
The transport stoppage that has been going on for more than a week in Formosa capital
affects 50 thousand users per day
.
For this reason, the commune decided last Tuesday the 13th to exceptionally authorize companies operating the
combi
service to carry out the service.
Shortly after,
Jofré reported acts of violence against vans
that appeared over the weekend with
broken windows
.
The mayor stated that he was not going to allow "anyone to endanger the lives of people who are doing their job honestly. I firmly condemn these
cowardly and despicable acts
," he stated.
In turn, the general secretary of the Automotive Tram Union (UTA) of Formosa had warned last week that
the spirits of the Crucero del Sur workers
were already worn down and that
he feared not being able to control them
.
"If a solution does not arrive these days, there may be a lazy comrade who
wants to do something
and cannot control it.
Burning buses could be an alternative
," he warned.
In an effort to avoid reaching that stage, the drivers had agreed to go to work this Monday to generate income and find a solution for salaries and part of the bonus owed by the company.
However, they alleged that
the buses ran out of gas within a few hours
and blocked the main streets with parked vehicles for a new day of protests.
According to the newspaper
La Mañana,
the drivers arrived at the Municipal Palace and
tried to set up an awning
, but were
stopped by pushing and insulting employees.
“Who are they that they come to
do quilombo in our house
?
They have to go to the company to complain, or to the governor of the province.
The mayor's office has nothing to do
with this conflict,” claimed a municipal worker.
“We did not come to fight or incite violence.
We just want to collect our salaries.
We are not going to generate a fight or dispute between workers, between
poor against poor
,” Diego Mendoza, general secretary of the Automotive Tram Union (UTA) in Formosa, responded shortly after.
A company, the groups, the municipality of Formosa and an endless conflict
The manager of Crucero del Sur, César Aguirre, acknowledged that "
it is impossible for the company to obtain the funds."
"
We don't want
to leave the province
either ," he said in a warning tone.
The bus strike in Formosa has been going on for 13 days and the company has already warned that it has no way to get the funds.
"We still can't pay the bills or be able to buy food, or think about school supplies," union sources stated in response.
While the strike continues, Jofré said that "those who take these actions are
employees of a private company
that have nothing to complain and demonstrate in front of a public institution and the solution to the problems is achieved with dialogue and willingness."
But
the Peronist saw the conflict coming
and that is why he bowed to the joint letter of mayors in the face of the cut in national funds for transportation.
Despite a strong police operation, the unionist Mendoza upped the ante:
"We are going to stay here, in front of the municipality, until there is a solution
to the conflict. Otherwise we will continue with a
popular pot
."
D.S.