Saturday, May 19, 2012

'Forcing Macri to take over the subway is like forcing him to solve Greek inflation'

PRO lawmaker Federico Pinedo assured today he is willing to mediate in the subway conflict to avoid next week’s three day strike, but insisted that the solution of the dispute between Metrovías and unions lies on the national Government.

“Do you want me, Federico Pinedo, a national lawmaker, to mediate in a national issue? I would love to, I will go and sit down to talk with Labour Minister Carlos Tomada,” the lawmaker told reporters.

Thus, he implied that if he does attend the meeting to mediate in the conflict between Metrovías and unions UTA and breakaway union AGTSyP, which caused a 36 hour strike this week-he would so by representing the Government and not Mauricio Macri’s administration.

The City Government refuses to get involved in the subway wage talks because as the transfer of the service was suspended, they consider the conflict involves President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administration.

Pinedo insisted that this is a union conflict, and thus the Labour Ministry should solve it. “When a company does not reach an agreement with its workers, it goes to the Labour Ministry to solve the conflict. The City cannot take charge of the problems caused by the National Government,” he added and insisted “that would be like the French President telling Macri to solve the Greek inflation.”