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16 July, 2007
ICEM Argentine affiliate Sindicato Unico Trabajores del Neumático Argentina (SUTNA) wrapped up major tyre talks in the South American nation, but it didn’t come easy.
While global tyre producers Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone came to terms early and conflict-free at their factories, FATE, a home-owned company which employs 1,200 workers at a factory near Buenos Aires, attempted to impose terms that undercut the gains made by SUTNA at the Italian and Japanese-based companies.
Workers did not take industrial action, but they firmly and repeatedly rejected the inferior FATE contract offers. Finally, in late June, FATE presented SUTNA with terms that equal the Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone deals.
SUTNA members at FATE’s San Fernando factory won wage increases totalling 23.2% over the next year. With bonuses, including two front-end ratification payments, the package equals – and surpasses, in some areas – contracts for the 1,400 rubber workers at the bigger companies.
SUTNA General Secretary Pedro Wasiejko pledged prior to last spring’s national negotiations that no worker would earn less than 2,741 pesos, or €600 per month.
We have attained our goals, Wasiejko said, “through transparent and democratic negotiations.” He commended the unrelenting worker resolve at the tyre factory, and said holding the line against FATE was made possible by workers “gathering in assemblies to freely and openly discuss” the company’s bargaining stands. He also said FATE workers conducted several democratic votes on many of the issues put forward by the company, votes that fostered unity.
SUTNA’s FATE workers won a 12% increase that is retroactive to April; they will get 6% in October 2007, 4% in February 2008, and another 1.23% in June 2008. SUTNA also won job advancements for 82 of the 1,200 workers, a major accomplishment.
At Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone, SUTNA negotiated 10% increases in April, with 6.5% coming due in October 2007, 3.5% in March 2008, 2% in April 2008, and 1.23% in June 2008.
The agreement was signed on 28 June, more two months after Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone came to terms.