Monday, June 20, 2011

Santa Cruz teacher unions strike to continue

Santa Cruz province teacher unions have decided to continue with the strike they began on April 15 in demand of a 50 percent wage increase, despite the mandatory conciliation that they were ordered to abide by two separate court rulings. They have decided to send a group of teachers to Buenos Aires with the aim of taking their protest to a national level.

After the meeting, the union delegates agreed to send a group of teachers to Buenos Aires to take part in different rallies with the aim of taking their protest to a national level.

However, teachers have lifted the road blocks they had staged on routes to oilfields that had began in May as a protest measure, in order not to be detrimental to oil workers.

The strike’s continuity was agreed upon in meeting that took place in Rio Turbio area, 300 kilometres west of Río Gallegos.

Governor Daniel Peralta set a 25 percent increase on teacher’s wages by means of a decree last week, but the measure was rejected by Adosac and AMET teacher unions. Peralta also requested a Court to rule the strike illegal.

The Adosac teacher union head Pedro Muñoz ratified the strike and questioned the “unilateral decision” of increasing teacher’s salaries through a decree.

Peralta’s administration stance on the subject is that “with a $ 4700 salary of a grade teacher without seniority, the teacher salaries are highest ones in the country.”