Axel Kicillof raised the alarm lights on a possible high-risk scenario: on Thursday he warned the national government that if the strict adjustment in sending discretionary funds to Buenos Aires is maintained, they may struggle to pay teachers’ full salaries.
The governor reported in a statement that “on February 6, the salaries corresponding to the month of January of Buenos Aires teachers were deposited, according to the usual calendar. All the sums that compose it have been paid, including national complements such as the National Teaching Incentive Fund (FONID), connectivity and teaching materials”.
And he added information involving Javier Milei’s management: “Even if the national government did not transfer the corresponding funds to the salaries of January 2024, the Province has decided to pay them by anticipating the aforementioned concepts with its own resources to prevent the purchasing power of the salary from being affected in an extremely adverse economic context of great uncertainty.”
It happens that the monthly salary of state educators includes a section that is financed with national funds. It is known as a “teaching incentive,” incorporated into law more than 20 years ago It is automatically transferred from the Treasury. For a college teacher just entering the system, it represents 10% of your salary. This is a fixed amount of approximately 32 thousand pesos per position.
This amount is made up of resources that come from the National Teaching Incentive Fund (Fonid), the Connectivity supplement and subsidies for teaching materials. They are resources that the Nation collects and transfers to the provinces every month.
As reported Clarionthe government reduced the amount of non-automatic transfers sent to jurisdictions across the country by 99% in the first month of 2024. This pruning resulted in In January, 13 provinces received zero pesos for that line of their revenue.
The impact of the chainsaw also reached Buenos Aires. And Kicillof has decided to invest its resources to complete the liquidation of more than 380 thousand teachers and professors who work in the state education system.
But that variant cannot be extended: “If this situation were to persist, the Province will not be able to take responsibility of these wage components which are the sole responsibility and obligation of the national government,” Kicillof warned.
The continuation of this situation puts the province in a risk area. This is exactly what it is in three weeks The 2024 school year begins and the governor wants to avoid conflicts with sectors of the teaching union.
So far the Kicillof administration has always been able to show normality in the start of activities. The unions have always supported the wage proposals proposed by the ruling party and the classrooms have always been open on the established dates.
Faced with an uncertain budget outlook, the governor decided in January to establish a raise by decree. He ordered an improvement of 25% for teachers and all state employees. This increase was paid in the final week.
In line with the request of the president of Buenos Aires, Ctera asked Milei to transfer educational resources to the provinces. “The board of directors of Ctera asks the government to send resources for public educational policies,” reads a letter signed by Sonia Alesso and the leader of Suteba (and deputy secretary of the national center) Roberto Baradel.
They also asked for the convening of the national joint assembly and the sending of money for school canteens. This statement coincides with another announcement from the Province: this Thursday, the Ministry of Community Development reported that it will increase investments in school food for more than 2.4 million Buenos Aires residents by 94%.
They also express concern about “the loss of purchasing power resulting from excessive increases and high rates.”
The speech from the headquarters – always aligned with sectors of Kirchnerism – anticipates conflict for the debut of the lessons scheduled between the end of February and the beginning of March across the country. Tensions between the government and teachers’ unions before the school debut were repeated. Except for the last four years. He could return in 2024.
Source: Clarin
