The UOCRA Ledesma workers began the protest at 9:30 a.m., marching from the union headquarters in the Virgen de la Merced neighborhood along Tilcara Avenue until reaching National Route 34 and then heading along the same route to the southern access to Libertador Gral. San Martín, the capital of the Ledesma department.
The few workers who were working on the construction of the regional hospital, due to the reduction of staff from 320 workers to 25 workers generated by the adjustment of the national government of Milei and the provincial government of Sadir, came out in support and from their workplace applauded their colleagues who were passing by in mobilization and declared themselves in a forceful measure due to lack of work clothing.
The demand is very heartfelt: reactivation of public works of the provincial state and genuine work for unemployed construction workers. Since out of 800 members, almost 600 are unemployed and a portion of them survive by collecting unemployment benefits and informal jobs in bricklaying, plumbing or electricity in the homes of working-class families in the town, known as changas.
Since the end of 2023, the provincial government of Sadir has been slowing down public works in tune with the cry “there is no money” of the Milei presidency. Although since May/June 2024 it has been promising in public announcements the reactivation of public works, even announcing that they will resume public works together with the leader of the provincial UOCRA, Neira, currently, in mid-September, there is no reactivation of public works or genuine work. Hence the anger, the claim and the demonstration of the workers of the Ledesma UOCRA. The patience of employed workers who are not willing to lose their acquired right to genuine work due to the national adjustment of Milei and the provincial adjustment of Sadir has been exhausted, and their dialogue with the community is that the works that are halfway done are urgent and necessary to improve the living conditions of the community, which the government has been slowing down by lacking financing for their resumption or realization.
Ledesma, Jujuy.
This is how the police of radical Carlos Sadir used rubber bullets to repress UOCRA workers who were protesting in Libertador today.
The reason? Hunger, poverty and unemployment due to the collapse of public works.
At Milei’s request, the UCR does its homework. pic.twitter.com/icFZcWZjkY— Natalia Morales (@NatuchaMorales) September 17, 2024
Around 90 provincial police officers, including infantry, cavalry, investigative brigades and special groups, repressed the protest of approximately 200 construction workers with batons and rubber bullets. The provincial police acted in accordance with the repressive protocol of Bullrich and Milei against workers demanding public works and work, which immediately had repercussions in the media at the provincial and national level, and generated statements from important unions such as CEDEMS, SOEAIL and UATRE Ledesma section in repudiation of the repression by the police of the provincial government of Sadir and in solidarity with the UOCRA Ledesma section.
The writer was also hit by rubber bullets when I was supporting the workers’ claim and covering the situation.
In addition to the repudiation of the police repression suffered by the construction workers who demand genuine work and public works, it is necessary to surround each measure of struggle that is resolved by the UOCRA Ledesma with concrete solidarity in order to put the unions, social organizations and the community on the side of the construction workers, to the point of stopping the repression of the radical government of Sadir and taking away the public works that attend to the needs of the people, such as finishing the regional hospital, the renovations of the Normal School, the construction of housing in the 28 hectares neighborhood of Calilegua, the building of the IES n°10, the sewage treatment plant and the new drinking water plant, and guaranteeing genuine work for the unemployed of the UOCRA and the Ledesma department.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
