Amid severe recession, unions and activists stage a Federal March in Argentina.

[forest444]

Argentina's second largest labor federation, the CTA, has staged a nationwide Federal March against the right-wing Mauricio Macri administration and its policies of "rate hikes, layoffs, and austerity."

The march, organized into five regional columns from cities across Argentina, is set to converge in Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo today at 5:00 p.m.

The Secretary General of the CTA Workers, Hugo Yasky, hopes the Federal March "will serve as a prelude to a national strike involving all unions, in order to demand the declaration of a social emergency, a rollback of utility rate hikes, and the reopening of collective bargaining agreements."

The CTA is currently in talks with the rival, somewhat more conservative CGT to stage a joint general strike later this month. The CGT, the nation's largest labor federation, was reunified on August 22 following a four year schism. Macri's austerity policies, which have led to the deepest recession since 2002, were cited by CGT leaders as the principal motive for their reunification.

CGT leaders, who had been reluctant to join such a general strike, have given the Macri administration until September 24 to authorize a new round of collective bargaining. The last such round, which concluded in March, yielded raises that averaged 30%; inflation, however, has since doubled to 47%.

The Federal March was joined by Kirchnerists (supporters of Macri's populist predecessor, former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner), numerous social activism groups, and 20 of the CGT's 124 member unions.

"We are converging social movements and labor movements into a single force," Yasky declared in the western city of Mendoza. "And when we reach the Plaza de Mayo we will be together with clear principles and objectives: ending austerity; changing policy so that no wage or pension remains below inflation, so that no informal workers remain unprotected; and rolling back utility rate hikes."

Today's mobilization also harkens back to the Federal March led by the CTA on July 5-6, 1994, in opposition to the neoliberal economic policies of President Carlos Menem. The current recession, however, is arguably far more serious, with GDP down 4.3%, retail sales down 8 to 14%, manufacturing down 7.9%, construction down 23.1%, and unemployment rising by 64% in just six months.

At: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.minutouno.com/notas/1507287-la-marcha-federal-se-dirige-plaza-mayo-protestar-contra-el-gobierno&prev=search

And: http://buenosairesherald.com/article/220898/industry-construction-figures-for-july-plunge

[Judi Lynn]

1. Argentines protesting cuts fill the streets of Buenos Aires

Argentines protesting cuts fill the streets of Buenos Aires


Argentina’s unions brought thousands of people into the capital’s streets Friday to protest government job cuts and the elimination of subsidies


Almudena Calatrava, The Associated Press
September 2, 2016

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s unions brought thousands of people into the capital’s streets Friday to protest government job cuts, the elimination of subsidies and other policies of President Mauricio Macri.

Closing out three days of demonstrations that included road blockages across the country, columns of protesters waving blue and white Argentine flags converged in front of the presidential palace to voice their anger at the president.

Thousands of state employees have been fired since Macri came to power in December vowing to cut bloated spending. The job cuts and the slashing of utility subsidies have stoked unrest in a nation with a long tradition of providing generous state jobs and benefits.

Macri says the measures are needed to revive Argentina’s frail economy and end economic distortions that have led to years of spiraling consumer prices. But unions and human rights groups, which organized Friday’s protest, say workers are being indiscriminately fired while Argentines continue to lose purchasing power to one of the world’s highest inflation rates.

More:
http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/argentines-protesting-cuts-fill-the-streets-of-buenos-aires/

[Judi Lynn]

2. Glad to learn they intend to move forward with a Federal march. Hoping the very best for them all.

Hope Macri doesn't have his spy network organized well enough to go violent against the human beings who are marching because their very lives hang in the balance under this madman.

[forest444]

3. Macri may be 13,000 miles away (at the Hangzhou G-20 summit); but he can still hear that helicopter.

Last edited Sun Sep 4, 2016, 12:00 PM - Edit history (1)

/@@images/0c1432ae-6bb6-439c-bccf-f6bebc4aa72b.jpeg

One of the five regional columns.



Sonia Alesso of the CTERA Teachers' Union (w/ glasses) and Hugo Yasky of the CTA federation (gray goatee, looking at camera). They were the first labor labor leaders to call Macri out back in January, when most others still believed Macri was some sort of "compassionate conservative."

……

Not to be outdone, Macri's operatives organized their own rally (presumably at taxpayer expense). Pro-government media (Clarín, etc.) were too embarrassed to cover it:

[Judi Lynn]

4. Best wishes for the well-being of Sonia Alesso and Hugo Yasky. They are courageous.

A taxpayer-funded pro-Macri rally. That's a hot one, isn't it? Unbelievable.

Sure hope he's getting close to overplaying his hand, too accustomed to controlling everything as the Mayor of Buenos Aires. He needed to be stopped months ago, but surely there's a limit to the powers he wants to use.

So going to one of Macri's demonstrations is similar to going to work!

Interesting architecture in that part of town. It really looks nice there, compared to so many other cities in similar spots.