The
board of Conicet
(National Council for Scientific and Technical Research) published a harsh statement in response to the Casa Rosada's order to cut public jobs.
"We ask that all dismissed agents be reinstated," they indicated in the publication, after a meeting that its members held this Wednesday.
The organization is chaired by the researcher and the greatest cloning expert in Argentina,
Daniel Salamone
, appointed by
Javier Milei, and
is made up of eight members proposed by researchers, universities and agricultural and industrial sectors.
"CONICET has 1,600 administrative and technical employees who are essential for the normal functioning of the Research Careers, 12,150 members; Support Staff, 3,050 members; and 10,900 people who, with doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, are trained in tasks of scientific and technological research, which constitute the future of national science and the country's federal development," the board states in the statement.
"These new dismissals are added to those already formalized last January. Therefore, added to the current repudiation, we ask that all the dismissed agents be reinstated given that their dismissal was not due to defects in their hiring, nor to the irrelevance of the tasks they performed," the scientists emphasize.
They refer to the anticipated limitation of
contracts that expire on March 31.
And on the other hand, they point out: "The verbal receipt of an order to reduce the staff based on an arbitrary percentage of it is the antithesis of a decision based on performance evaluations or on criteria of reasonableness and relevance of the tasks." that are carried out, also lacking the minimum formality that a public body requires for its governance".
Harsh statement from Conicet rejecting the layoffs in the State ordered by Javier Milei.
The statement was published on social networks by Daniel Filmus, former Minister of Science and Technology under Alberto Fernández.
In addition to Salamone, there are four members representing researchers: Social Sciences and Humanities (Mario Pecheny), Biological and Health Sciences (Claudia Capurro), Exact and Natural Sciences (Roberto Rivarola) and Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Materials (Alberto Baruch).
Industry (María Laura Correa) and agriculture (Manuel García Solá) also contribute members, through science and technology organizations from the provinces and the City of Buenos Aires (Luz Lardone) and the Council of Universities (Jorge Aliaga).
The regional scientific and technological directors of Conicet spoke in the same sense.
They assured that the layoffs impede "the normal functioning of the scientific system" and framed them "in the adjustment policy of the State currently being implemented."
It occurs after the state unions warned about the possible notification next Tuesday the 26th about the end of the link of 30% of the temporary plant of the national public administration, which covers some 70 thousand workers.
The complete statement from Conicet
The Board of Directors of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), in its extraordinary meeting on March 20, 2024, expresses its total rejection of the decision to limit the renewal of contracts for administrative and technical personnel of the Institution.
CONICET has 1,600 administrative and technical employees who are essential for the normal functioning of the Research Careers, with 12,150 members; Support Personnel, 3,050 members; and 10,900 people who, with doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, are trained in scientific and technological research tasks, which constitute the future of national science and the federal development of the country.
Excellent statement from the CONICET Board of Directors rejecting all types of dismissals in the organization.
Without science there is no future.
pic.twitter.com/q4yETjadQj
— Daniel Filmus (@FilmusDaniel) March 20, 2024
This hired administrative and technical staff, highly specialized and trained, has worked at CONICET for years supporting the planning, monitoring and evaluation processes of research activities, and allows the operation of the more than 300 institutes and Scientific Technological Centers that are established. found throughout the national territory.
These new layoffs are in addition to those already formalized last January. Therefore, in addition to the current repudiation, we ask that all dismissed agents be reinstated given that their dismissal was not due to defects in their hiring, nor to the irrelevance of the tasks they performed.
Also, we express our concern about the lack of certainty in relation to the formalization of entries to the Scientific Researcher Career (CIC) 2022 and the implementation of the CIC promotions, as well as the Support Personnel competitions, We also want express that we are convinced that changes in the amounts of scholarships assigned, their start dates or the conditions of extensions, modifying the bases of calls already substantiated, will have very negative consequences that will last for years, given the time required for the training of scientific-technological personnel, damaging the possibilities of national development.
CONICET has a 2022-2025 Strategic Plan and must govern its operation in compliance with Law 25,467 "SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION", Law No. 27,614 on Financing of the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Law No. 27,738 " National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan 2030", It is within this legal framework that we must fulfill our responsibilities.
The verbal receipt of an order to reduce the staff based on an arbitrary percentage of it is the antithesis of a decision based on performance evaluations or on criteria of reasonableness and relevance of the tasks being performed, also lacking the minimum formality that a public body requires for its governance,
Leaving CONICET without the necessary administrative and technical personnel means paralyzing it and putting at risk the functioning of a central actor in the national science and technology system, just when it has just been recognized, once again, as the best government science institution in Latin America. among other multiple international recognitions.