Rang the bell. In Nation and in the City of Buenos Aires To a greater extent, although examples also come from different cities and provinces, there are already laid-off workers. It is just one of the parts of the war plan launched by the Milei government.
The impact of the layoffs is still being processed but there may be risks 1500 layoffs at the national State level confirmed, where the criterion was to leave those hired for less than a year of employment and a few 7,000 workers in the City of Buenos Aires in the spotlight where apparently Jorge Macri’s government targets 30% of those hired.
The dismissed themselves express that in this way they empty programs since they remove key professionals, or those who remain cannot meet the demand of the sector. In many cases in sensitive areas and with an impact on vulnerable sectors of the population.
The struggle of the state, in which we have already begun to measure forces with the Milei government, we have to Think of it as part of a fight by all working people against the DNU with which the government wants to inflict a great blow.. Join all of us who are being affected by the Government’s measures to ensure that this time the great crisis that shakes the country is not paid for by the workers, but by economic power, seeking tear down the DNU organized in the workplace, coordinating with other sectors and putting all that force in the streets. We believe that it is the only way to also avoid the negotiated solutions that sectors of the employers’ parties and even the union centers (CGT and CTA) will seek.
In several departments they began to emerge and we promoted dismissal or anti-dismissal commissions that can play a great role coordinating with other commissions that emerge in other sectors, gaining strength in a common struggle, working on fighting funds and also seeking unity with colleagues who join the neighborhood assemblies and cacerolazos, social movements, of artists, of women and of students who point towards the General Strike of January 24.
It is in this general framework that some debates with the ATE conductions are presented.
The chicken or the egg
Isn’t there a reason to call your teammates because they’re not there to go out and fight? Or are the teammates not ready to go out and fight because no one called them?
It is clear that unions have earned authority, influence workers and maintain a certain capacity for mobilization. How they use this capacity is the debate.
The call to General Strike on January 24 that arose as a result of the strong discontent generated by Milei’s measures, appears as a great channel to express this discontent and put on the agenda all the demands that are beginning to be expressed in the most varied areas: cacerolazos, neighborhood and state assemblies, cultural events that bring together thousands of people. The problem for the state workers is that the layoffs began on January 2 and the general strike is quite far away. Not only those fired need answers but the rest of the colleagues see their jobs threatened. The contracts prior to 2023 were only renewed for three months, and their plan includes the cutting of entire areas, which have no reason to exist in the government’s political scheme. In some sectors the number circulating is 30% of jobs under the spotlight for the month of March.
The controversy in this note is concentrated on the role of ATE. We have already spoken out here about the role of other unions such as UPCN and SUTECBA.
The statements of Rodolfo Aguiar Secretary General of ATE Nacional They are, to say the least, striking. In statements that came out regarding the day of struggle that ATE Nacional called for January 15, he stated that “it is not going to occur to anyone to think that we state officials are attacking governability. It is the Government itself that is breaking social peace. Not only because of layoffs without justified cause, but fundamentally because they put the functioning of numerous State agencies at risk.”
This idea of not “attacking governability” becomes even more unpalatable when compared to previous statements by the leader in which he defined the possible Milei government as “neo-Fascist.” This concern about not becoming like the boycotters of the Milei government was expressed even before the statements of Sergio Massa who considered the strike on January 24 as too hasty. Meanwhile, the sticks for the workers continue to fly in all directions.
Returning to Aguiar in a tone of self-harassment, he added that “we have to wake up. We cannot naturalize what is happening. This administration proposes a turn towards the 19th century to leave us without rights.” Among activists and colleagues, critical voices are beginning to be heard about the transportation policy.
Preparation and caution yes, fear no.
For readers outside the comings and goings of the world of ATE, it is worth clarifying that the union broadly has two fractions that have greater weight. On the one hand, the sector that responds to Aguiar and the Green List which had a very good relationship with the government of Alberto Fernández, and on the other the sector that responds to the line of Daniel Catalano of the Green and White aligned with the Kirchnerist current. Between both sectors, unitary photos and hugs are combined in short periods of time with breakups and distances. Despite the friction, the two sectors remained faithful to the government of the Front of All and they characterize, or at least they characterized, the Milei government as Fascist or neo-fascist.
If the Aguiar faction is worried about not appearing to puncture the balloon of Mileista governability, the Catalano sector is going through this first round against the Government with a demagnetized compass in hand. Throughout these long weeks between Milei’s victory and the start of the layoffs, the idea was heard from this sector of the union that we must wait for the experience of the sectors that voted for Milei to be passed on. In addition to an overloaded discourse regarding the dangers of repression, police persecution and the government’s repressive disposition. The carrying out of numerous cuts in the city of Buenos Aires against the DNU nor the mobilization of the December 20thelements that show the limits, if within the framework of organized actions, of the possibilities of the government’s repressive deployment.
The fight against layoffs
In this framework, the ATE leadership decided to receive the first layoffs with the measure that each work sector defined and without common action from the union. Few organizations proposed measures to provide a first response to the layoffs, such as collective entry into the Secretary (Former Ministry) of Labor dependent on the Ministry of Human Capital which had a great impact in the media, as well as in the Former Ministry of Culture. During the week, other actions were seen in sectors with layoffs in the City of Buenos Aires, while self-organized layoffs began to appear in the different actions with the intention of organizing and fighting.
As the union secretary of ATE Capital, each sector has to turn around as many layoffs as it can and the general actions will remain to “unlock” the cases that cannot be reinstated by sector.
In this framework the plan includes, a measure for January 15 that national ATE calls as National Fight Day and that basically each section adapts to its own reality. In the case of ATE Capital, the measure will be an action in the CCK square, which does not generate “tensions” with Bullrich’s repressive protocol, and without strikes.
All the orientation proposed by ATE Nacional and ATE Capital in the heat of Sergio Massa’s statements take on another tone. If a general strike is hasty on January 24, a strong measure on the 15th is much more hasty!
1,500 layoffs in the Nation, 7,000 signed up in the city with hundreds of colleagues on the street. Are we not here for more? Can we not prepare for January 24 with a strong measure that unifies one of the few sectors that are receiving layoffs?
The legal strategy against the DNU in which a large part of the commitment of the union centers is concentrated, has as a correlation in a vision that the workers are not yet ready to fight the government head on and that there is no will to take to the streets against the adjustments that they are giving us. imposing.
From the Brown Classist Group We believe so and that what is missing is a clear orientation that aims to bring all the militancy, the delegates, the activists and those dismissed to the sectors and to the streets to build from there a strong participation in the strike of January 24, which It is also an element in the face of pressure from the government and from the leaders of the front of all who seek to puncture the prospect of a measure of force against the government. With this perspective we are going to work on January 15, despite the limits of a call without a strike.
If the working class, the young people, the women, those affected by the high rates, the assembly members who are beginning to win the corners of different cities do not respond to the blow of the right-wing government, there is, at least theoretically, more chances that it will stabilize. But we have the strength to tear down the DNU.
That is why we have been insisting with a series of proposals as we propose in this note. Towards the assemblies, workers, committees of laid-off workers, boards and delegates and unions, starting with ATE, we promote the call for an open assembly of state and municipal workers open to other sectors in struggle, solidarity organizations and the sectors affected by the government’s attacks to vote on a plan to fight for no dismissals in the State and against the Milei-Caputo plan.
We especially believe that we can seek points of agreement to promote this initiative with colleagues from organizations that are part of independent, democratic and fighting boards, what is the space of the Multicolor List + BVG and other sectors that in CABA were part of the “interjuntas”.
This plenary session, which can be convened in a public and symbolic space such as the Plaza de Mayo, should be a great point of organization against layoffs and to build from below, promoting assemblies in all state agencies, the General Strike called by the CGT for January 24 to tear down the DNU.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
