As the year 2024 closed, on December 30, the “anti-state” team of the Milei government, Caputo, Sturzenegger and their spokesperson Manuel Adorni, “offered” an increase corresponding to the state parity of employees of the National Public Administration (APN) a new “mockery”: a 1% monthly increase for the next quarter. Monthly inflation more than doubles this figure, that is, month after month state workers will continue to lose purchasing power.
This ridiculous salary proposal is totally insufficient given the 25% drop in purchasing power since the beginning of Milei’s management. The ATE-Indec Internal Board estimates that “since the LLA government took office, accumulated inflation is almost 166%, and the loss of purchasing power is 25%.”
Other estimates released by the ATE union indicate that since January of this year the loss is around 40% if it is taken into account that the increases accumulate 73% until November and inflation 112% (not counting December 2023). Depending on the calculation variables, it is estimated that state employees lost close to 30%, although in certain cases it was greater because the government eliminated very sensitive salary items such as overtime, supplements, and other adjustments. In any case, it is clear that it was a scythe on the income and living conditions of thousands of families that depend on the state salary.
For its part, according to the MATE (Viewpoint of Current Work and Economy) In the first 11 months of government, Each state employee lost cumulatively, no less than $3,314,736 on average. In the case of private sector workers, it represents a cumulative loss of $1.099.769 per worker in the year.
To this we must add the harassment permanent with thousands of dismissals and dismissals, the public stigmatization of the president himself and his spokesperson for the work of public servant carried out, the humiliation of “suitability” exams, the uncertainty regarding the quarterly renewal of contracts and other permanent attacks. With it They seek to divide workers between those in the private sector and those in the public sectoras if the “fiscal deficit” and the economic crisis or the taxes and fees charged to workers were the responsibility of the former.
The last increase had been in October, where a 3% increase was scheduled in two months (2% November, 1% December and a paltry remunerative and non-bonusable bonus of $30,000 that was paid in January with the December salary, after the holidays). ATE signed in disagreement with that and the other union, the Union of Civil Personnel of the Nation (UPCN), endorsed it.
The embarrassment is such that not even the UPCN union itself, led by the “centaur” Andrés Rodríguez, could now accept the 1% offer. Rejected by ATE and UPCN in the first instance, the joint agreement went to an intermediate room and the parties will meet again between January 15 and 20 virtually. Accepting a consolidation of this loss by any of the unions, especially UPCN, would not be surprising, but it would be indefensible at this point. It is worth reviewing that even the union of truckerswhich has been setting salaries downward, fixed 5.5% quarterly (after lowering it from 15%) and a bonus of $600,000.
It’s not just about the loss of last year. The level of salary degradation in the Public Administration is such that it has been dragging on for years, and makes it impossible to reach, not the end of the month, but the middle of the month: according to calculations by Indec workers, In the last 9 years, state workers lost half their salarieswhat they receive now is enough to buy 50% less than what they could buy in 2015.
The “budget constraint”
But as if all this were not enough, this Tuesday, January 7, the government issued the Administrative Decision 1/2025signed by Guillermo Francos, Federico Sturzenegger and Luis Caputo where they propose a “budget constraint” for salary negotiation. Following the same, the collective agreements of the National Public Sector must be negotiated within the available budgets, promoting efficiency and salary equity.
So the government is preparing for a possible scenario of signing the state joint venture by Decree in case the meeting scheduled within 15 daysand justify said cut decision in the already known “there is no money”.
Meanwhile, a select group of five private banks (among them, the international JP Morgan) were awarded a “parity” of exorbitant profits to the 8.8% annual in dollars. It was a loan, covered by REPO, for US$ 1,000 million. And at the same time it disbursed and guaranteed “to the markets” that it would pay the foreign debt maturities at any cost. This Thursday he put some in the pockets of foreign and local vulture funds. US$ 4,360 million in capital and interest of the debt that Martín Guzmán had renegotiated in 2020.
Some sectors of workers have carried out enormous struggles of confrontation, opposition and resistance to the Milei government’s adjustment plan. This is the case, for example, of health workers. Based on the 10 strikes and mobilizations carried out during 2024, certain partial and particular recompositions were achieved in some hospitals. It is the case of Garrahan Hospitalwhere they took off an additional 15% for the main items of the year that will be paid with own resources. Although it is an insufficient amount, because it does not recover the loss that only occurred since Milei took office and that has been going on for several years, these are very important achievements to defend purchasing power and working conditions and support points for prepare resistance in 2025.
The verbal rejection of the ATE and UPCN leadership is not enough, an urgent fight plan is necessary, in unified assemblies from below, against layoffs, salary cuts and salary recomposition. The resistance of the working class to the adjustment plan of Milei and the IMF is being prepared, coordinating and uniting the struggles to defeat the plans of big capital to restructure the country in its image and likeness.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
