The Association of State Workers (ATE) together with the Classist and Combative Current (CCC), Somos Barrios de Pie and the Evita Movement; They started the day of protests in the midst of the total strike announced for this Friday, with a surprise roadblock that lasted three hours.
After 9:30 a.m., the greatest impact in the region was caused by the picket that they carried out on Provincial Route 6, on the southern bank of the Paso Córdoba bridge. There a column of protesters interrupted the passage of trucks of sand towards Añelo, as a form of protest and visibility.
The road block was complete at that neuralgic point of circulation that became an obligatory step for oil service trucks. The traffic blockade on the “sand route” had not been announced and is expected to continue until noon this Friday.
Rodolfo Aguiar, assistant secretary of ATE Nacional, is present at the court and spoke with RIO NEGRO. He assured that: «40% of poverty in the country shows a phenomenon that is new in Argentina and that is that of poor formal wage earners. Before, having a job guaranteed you a decent life, today that doesn’t happen anymore.
“At any moment the bridge falls”
The reference of the CCC and elected councilor of Roca, Nadia Ortiz, assured that they chose that “strategic” point for the claim of the residents of Paso Córdoba. “At any moment the bridge falls and nobody is doing anything. We demand a scale because the trucks of sand for fracking pass with excess weight and at high speeds”, he launched.
“We call the attention of the provincial government. The oil companies are taking all the wealth»
Nadia Ortiz, coordinator CCC Río Negro
«We want the resources of the Argentines to go to the Argentines. The silver of Vaca Muerta We want it for schools, hospitals, for housing, for rural workers, for all workers. We do not want that money to escape out there through a mega port in Punta Colorada”, launched the leader of the PTP, Raúl Rajneri.
Several simultaneous demands of the social movements coexist in the demonstration, who are also carrying out a national day of protest and converge with the unions in Río Negro.
The strike in demand for “decent wages” is felt in all national, provincial and municipal organizations of Río Negro with an adhesion of 95%, according to information provided by the union to RIO NEGRO.
In addition to Rock, there are demonstrations in Viedma and Bariloche. In the provincial capital they are concentrated in the Public Function also from 9 to 12 and in Bariloche they will be concentrated in Calle San Martín 698 at 10.
The agreement with the IMF in the axis of the claims
As announced by the union, they protest “against the extortionary policies of the IMF and the economic adjustment»and in demand of a fixed sum for all work sectors, move to a permanent plant of workers with precarious contracts and salaries above the evolution of inflation».
Likewise, they ask for a parity that allows a salary discussion according to the needs of the workers and demands the increase in additional fees for health, education, Senaf and Human Development workersamong other organizations, and the increase in overtime.
Besides, ATE requires the increase and updating of items in the Manual of Missions and Functions of Support Service Personneland the entry of more workers in establishments since numerous schools in various locations have only one doorman and maintain reduced tasks due to health problems and retraining of staff.
The union also highlighted the scarcity of material resources to guarantee basic hygiene and maintenance supplies, breakfast and snack.
Finally, they ask the creation of collective agreements and sectoral insalubrity law and the full validity of trade union democracy in all agencies and administrations.
They deny the call for conciliation
In turn, they deny the call for conciliation and ratify the strike. «We repudiate the maneuver that seeks to discourage a measure of force that is expected to be forceful and with high levels of compliance“, they expressed and added” if the Government wanted to intervene it, it could not do so either because it was adopted at the national level.
ATE insisted that Only minimum shifts are guaranteed in hospitals and care centers for children, adolescents, and adults.
