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26 March, 2007
Sector level national negotiations in Argentina’s rubber industry will continue tomorrow at the Labour Ministry, announced ICEM South American affiliate Sindicato Unico Trabajadortes del Neumático Argentino (SUTNA).
The union aims to get fair and equitable wage terms for 4,000 of the nation’s rubber workers at companies such as Bridgestone, Pirelli, and FATE, which employ the majority of rubber workers in Argentina.
Prior talks occurred on 19 March. SUTNA Gen. Sec. Pedro Wasiejko said no worker in the rubber industry should earn less than ARS2,741 (€600) per month. SUTNA is demanding a 38% pay increase.
“This is a sector where the salary costs are only between 4 and 6% of total production costs,” said Wasiejko, adding that 38% “would not tremendously affect the sales price of the product, or be a change to the consumer.”
He added, “The private sector today has huge profits and workers need to make sure that these profits are distributed in a fair and equal way.”
SUTNA has conducted meetings in all rubber plants and tomorrow’s union agenda reflects the wishes of workers in those plants. The union expressed its faith in honest collective bargaining, and said it is convinced that a transparent and participatory negotiations system is in the best interests of all.
The outcome of the national talks will not only determine working terms at the three big Buenos Aires tyre plants of Bridgestone, Pirelli, FATE, but at hundreds of smaller rubber producers and rubber suppliers.