The aviation conflict continues to escalate. Javier Milei and his Secretary of Transport, Franco Motta, have chosen Aerolíneas as a test case to show how far they are willing to go to hit the working class. But also the national heritage.
Salaries have been frozen since March, which has caused great discontent among tens of thousands of aeronautical workers. Despite the false official campaign, those who operate the flights have salaries that start from 500 thousand pesos (operators) to 700 thousand (ramps), and those who have higher salaries in many cases do not cover the family basket and also suffer from falling behind in inflation.
In this context, we saw a strike by pilots and airmen last Friday the 13th, which lasted 24 hours and showed the anger and aeronautical power.
There are other unions that have been holding assemblies (Intercargo) and the air traffic controllers are in a mandatory conciliation dictated by their own boss, the State.
The government has now launched an attack on the right to strike, declaring the “essentiality of air transport”, something that is already regimented, but Milei has taken a leap, violating all labour and constitutional laws, including those of the International Labour Organisation.
However, the other side does not want to let down its guard. The Association of Airline Pilots (Apla) and the Argentine Association of Flight Attendants (AAA) announced that they will hold separate workers’ assemblies on Thursday afternoon to decide whether they will continue with the strike measures.
On the other hand, on the same day there will be a press conference by the staff of the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC). It will be held at the headquarters of ATE Nacional (Belgrano 2527). There “the commercial aviation situation and the scope of the measure will be detailed, which will consist of two instances: from 6 to 12 and from 17 to 22 and will affect 27 airports throughout the country.”
A case study: there are forces to stop the attack
The workers and the Internal Commission of GPS, the main outsourced company of Aerolíneas Argentina, are one of the first sectors that had to come out to fight against the dismissals and the attacks on AA. They have been part of the first line in defense of Aerolíneas Argentinas, but also supporting other sectors in the struggle.
In recent days they have launched a campaign showing why this conflict is a test case for the entire working class. And they have assured that “there are forces” to confront Milei and Motta’s plan.
Martín Brat, one of the leaders of the class-based delegates of GPS-Aerolíneas, stressed that “the aeronautical workers have shown that they have the capacity and the predisposition to win this political fight that the government is proposing because they know that not only their salary depends on it, but also their jobs, because the plan of hollowing out and defunding will advance with layoffs. To unleash all the strength that is contained among the workers of Aerolíneas, we believe that the unity of all the aeronautical unions is very important, holding assemblies that call on the majority of the workers to discuss in common the plan of struggle and a strategy that unifies.” He also pointed out that “the commitment of the CGT, the CTA and the big unions to the struggle of Aerolíneas has to be effective. Declarations alone are not enough. It is necessary to establish a national Commission in defense of Aerolíneas Argentinas and its workers that guarantees a great struggle to win.”
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
