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2 October, 2006
ICEM Argentinean affiliate Sindicato Único de Trabajadores del Neumático Argentino (SUTNA) signed a historic agreement recently with the employers’ association for the rubber sector in the country.
In a SUTNA publication, General Secretary Pedro Wasiejko expressed his satisfaction as, for the first time in 31 years, the union managed to reach an agreement for the entire sector. In addition to detailed salary benchmarks, the agreement contains language on a large number of positive accomplishments, including the establishment of health and safety committees, anti-discrimination measures, a 25% retirement bonus, and, perhaps most importantly, the elimination of subcontracting in the production process.
Specific salary increases were agreed for several different companies, including Pirelli, Bridgestone’s Firestone division, and FATE S.A.I.C.I., the Argentine tyre producer. The collective agreement not only states a percentage level for basic and average salary increases at different companies, but also sets minimum salaries for the entire rubber sector. The agreement is binding on any new company that might enter Argentina’s rubber sector.
Regrettably, despite achieving the excellent labour agreement, a major problem with a tyre manufacturer occurred almost immediately: Fábrica Neumáticos de Avanzada, a company in Córdoba, Argentina, making competition tyres, began to dismiss workers for no other reason than that they had become SUTNA members. The conflict, a clear violation of the recently signed agreement, has seen 25 workers at the plant getting the sack thus far.
The ICEM’s Argentinean rubber affiliate cited “union discrimination” as the reason behind the sackings, because management had been attempting to set up a company union in the plant. SUTNA has staged a strike at the plant, and organised a 200-worker march from the worksite to the provincial Ministry of Work in Córdoba.
SUTNA succinctly stated: “The conflict in Córdoba continues.