The Uruguayan trade union movement publicly committed itself on May 1st, to engage in battles for wages, equity in the distribution of national wealth and a change of the terms of pension reform.

The president of the PIT-CNT trade union, Marcelo Abdala, denounced the fact that the ruling classes use government policies to fill their funds in banks, while the salary and purchasing power of workers decreases.

He argued that the rich people appropriate the greatest wealth in the country while thousands of Uruguayans grow poorer, particularly among the underage population. He also said that official policies diminish the contribution of workers to the Gross Domestic Product.

Abdala contrasted that, meanwhile investment in public companies falls by 250 million dollars, the amount of the working classes’ contribution through the Value Added Tax goes up and the tax contribution to the ruling classes is being cut.

The union leader predicted that the total salary loss could not be recovered, but he announced the realization of a People’s Congress in the coming months to wage out new social battles.

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