7 May, 2010Argentinean metalworkers have just negotiated a pay deal that includes a 15 per cent pay rise from April 1 and a further 10 per cent on July 1 this year.
ARGENTINA: The metalworkers' union (Unión Obrera Metalúrgica - UOM) has reached a pay deal with employers in the metalworking sector after several unsuccessful meetings and a 24-hour national strike.
The agreement is for a two-part pay rise, with a 15 per cent increase from April 1 and a further 10 per cent on July 1, 2010. The agreement covers the period up to March 31, 2001.
This closes negotiations for the year, with a total pay rise of 25 per cent. The employers initially offered 15 per cent but after several meetings they gradually increased their offer to 20 per cent under trade union pressure.
The UOM insisted on a 25 per cent pay rise because last year, employers agreed to a 15 per cent pay rise in the middle of the crisis and with the industry only working at 50 per cent capacity in the second quarter of the year. The situation has now improved and the industry is working at 80 per cent of capacity so the union would not accept the same increase as last year.