ATE Secretary General Rodolfo Aguiar explained in a statement that the protests aim to denounce the risk faced by 50,000 citizens whose employment contracts expire on the 31st of this month. “We must prevent the government from implementing new cuts to the state. All contracts must be automatically renewed. We will not tolerate mass layoffs,” he asserted.

Aguiar assured that the union will participate in a general strike called by the General Confederation of Labor for April 10th, but noted that this additional strike is necessary before that date because the jobs of more than 50,000 people are at risk, and their contracts will expire by that date. The ATE demands that they comply with the automatic and annual renewal, as established in Resolution 26/24 of the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation.

“We will mobilize there because the Minister, Federico Sturzenegger, is the one proposing to offset the fiscal cost of $800 million resulting from the reduction of agricultural withholdings and the elimination of taxes on high-end cars with a further reduction in the public sector and the closure and merger of numerous agencies,” Aguiar stated. He questioned the continued wage freeze, called for the immediate reopening of collective bargaining negotiations, and demanded that the damage caused to income be repaired.

“A strike with mobilization will allow us to continue defending our constitutional right to demonstrate and freely petition the authorities,” said the Secretary General, highlighting the attendance of ATE members at a march for the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice.

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