Newspaper vendors may continue strike next weekend

After a 48-hour strike held by the Sivendia newspaper vendors’ union which paralyzed the distribution of national dailies (including the Buenos Aires Herald) over the weekend, there are high chances the walkout might continue next Saturday and Sunday. News vendors are demanding 40 percent from newspapers’ cover price.

“In the past, we used to receive 40 percent of the cover price, but in 2001 (newspaper publishers) confiscated 20 percent of that stake and since then we have been struggling to get it back,” said Sivendia secretary-general Omar Plaini.

The union leader said yesterday: “Next Friday, we will hold a general meeting at 3.30pm at Sivendia headquarters, to discern which steps to follow as from next weekend, because this situation does not finish here — this is only the beginning.”

“We will meet and decide if we continue with the walkout or if we go back to work,” added the union figure.

Plaini, who is also a Victory Front (FpV) national deputy and a staunch ally of CGT umbrella labour union head Hugo Moyano, explained that “there are newspapers which have already returned the percentage which we are demanding,” also stating that the union has already reported at the Labour Ministry that some newspapers are giving out copies for free.

“Newspaper vendors are tied to the price which is printed on the front page, but nowadays 70 percent of the publication’s income comes from advertising, which is worth millions and we do not receive anything from it,” pointed out Plaini.

He added: “In the past, we used to carry between 80 and 100 newspaper copies in a hamper, but now we can only carry 30 because due to the numerous supplements and advertising currently published in the dailies we have to do more deliveries and work more hours.”

The national deputy confirmed that Sivendia members will go on with their demonstrations outside the printing plants in Barracas neighbourhood (where most of the printing houses of the national dailies are located), blocking the exit of distributing trucks.

Herald with DyN, Telam