With inflation remaining in double digits – January was 20.6% and February is expected between 15% and 18% – The situation of Argentine pockets is increasingly complex. Equal agreements and wage increases cannot keep up with the pace and speed with which prices rise, yet unions fight and try to improve the conditions of the workers who work under their protection.
Some sectors manage to achieve increases of a few percentage points, others, however, navigate in the midst of conflict. In this second group there are still: teachers from Buenos Aires and nationally, construction, metallurgical and gas industry workers.
Below, one by one, which sectors will receive increases and bonuses in March.
Banking
With Sergio Palazzo at the helm, the Chambers of Enterprise and La Bancaria – one of the strongest unions at local level – have been actively working since the beginning of the year to improve the income of their workers. In mid-February they got their starting salary for February (which they will receive in March) plus “profit sharing” lead to salaries exceeding $1 million.
The millionaire figure is made up of the salary initial $991,347.87 and holding reaching $44,774.73. In total, union workers earn $1,036,122.60 this month, as reported in an official statement.
The salary increase established starting from February will now be received by workers in the third month of the year.
Building managers
Two days before the end of February, the Single Union of Construction Workers and Horizontal Construction Workers (SUTERH) agreed on a joint agreement a salary increase for February of 45% on the salary for the first month of the year. Furthermore, the union warned that in the next few hours it will meet the entrepreneurs for a new recomposition.
It is calculated on the basic salary corresponding to the month of January 2024 “for the fourth category” and will be applied “to the additional agreement and proportionally to the remainder” in the salary of February 2024.
With the new increases the basis of a permanent manager with fourth category accommodation reaches $441,477.
“The country is going through an unprecedented crisis, this difficult moment requires a lot of responsibility and support from all workers. Today (27 February) we closed the joint negotiations with a 45% increase on the January basic salary of our affiliates” , said Víctor Santa María, general secretary of the general secretary of SUTERH.
Commercial employees
Six days ago, the Argentine Federation of Commerce and Service Employees and the business chambers of the sector signed a new joint agreement corresponding to the 2023 joint agreement for commercial activity. In this framework it was agreed a non-profitable basis increase of 17.6% starting in February 2024, plus a remunerative percentage of 11%.
In this way, the basic salary of a commercial worker, with presenteeism, It stands at $658,000.
The non-salary amount mentioned will be incorporated into the price list for the month of April 2024, for its nominal value. The agreement is valid from 1 February 2024 to 31 March 2024, it being understood that the parties met in March to analyze the economic changes that may have occurred.
In March the parties will meet again for a review.
truck drivers
Another of the strong unions, the Federation of Truck Drivers, led by Hugo and Pablo Moyano, reached its second wage agreement of the year six days ago.
Agreement It implies a 45% increase that they will receive in two tranches: 25% on March salaries and 20% on April salaries.
Furthermore, a further 2% increase was agreed for the Logistics, Mail and Express sectors, as well as for items such as Specialties, Food and Per diem, as Truckers had publicly requested at the end of the previous joint meeting.
The base salary of a first-class driver will reach $437,000 in March, and in April it will rise to $546,286.81.
Domestic workers
In mid-February Casas Particulares employees achieved a 35% increase, divided into two parts: 20% for February and 15% for March. The novelty, in this sense, is that for the first time they have succeeded the increase is cumulative, which implies that the adjustment will round to 38%
Workers paid monthly will receive 20% for February and March. And 15% expected for the third month of the year, in April.
Thus, the minimum hourly wage for retired employees will be $1,699.8, while for non-pensioned employees it will be $1,833.6. For those who top up monthly it will be 208,509.6 dollars for those who have the withdrawal, and 231,860.4 dollars for those who have the “read in” mode (the values are provisional, as they have not yet been published in the Official Journal).
For the fourth month of the year the figures will be: $1,954.8 per hour with withdrawal; and $2,108.6 for those without a withdrawal. And the month: $239,786.0 and $266,639.5, respectively.
Railway lines
Three of the four railway unions – Unión Ferroviaria, Association of Argentine Railway Signalmen and Association of Management Staff of Argentine Railways and Ports – have arrived at a salary increase that provides a 12% increase for February (which employees will receive in March) and another 12% non-salary on the current gross salary corresponding to the second month of the year.
The train drivers’ union La Fraternidad, however, rejected the offer and awaits the final joint hearing next Friday to decide “how to proceed”.
Diet
Food workers united in the Federation of Food Workers (FTIA) They agreed to a 20.9% increase in February on December 2023 salaries. The joint discussion reopens this month.
The Food Workers Federation has agreed to a one-off extraordinary sum of $40,000, plus a cumulative 34% in January compared to December.
Although the sum of the increases is 54.9%, as these are cumulative percentages, the total improvement is 62% compared to December salaries. To these are added 40,000 pesos. The joint venture will reopen in March.
insurance union
The workers of the Insurance Union have agreed to a 54% increase for the first two months, split into 32% for January and 22% for February (the latter they will receive now).
“Group 1” employees (for 8 hours of work per day), will receive a gross salary of $930,000. Salary updates are made based on December 2023 assets until further agreement.
Private security
The Union for Personal Security of the Argentine Republic (UPSRA) agreed for March and April salaries that the basis for calculating the increase will be obtained on the basis of average of CPIs for December 2023 and January 2024.
meat industry
The trade union federation of personnel in the meat industry and its derivatives and in the refrigeration industry They agreed on a 40% increase and add 100% in two months. Additionally, workers will receive a non-salary bonus of $150,000. The improvement for 2023/24 will be 230%.
Pastry chefs
The salary increase will be 24% non-remunerative on January’s basic salaries for the Pastry Branch. In February this increase is added to the basic one.
Mercado Libre employees
Now, workers will receive the differential between the February CPI rate and the provisional 17% agreed for March 2024.
In March they will also meet again to review the agreements, taking into account the evolution of the cost of living.
Loading and unloading of workers
The union closed in the January-March quarter an increase of 51%, in 3 tranches of 17% and established an automatic revision clause based on inflation data.
Cisterns
The oil unions have reached an agreement in the last few hours a salary recomposition of 20.6% corresponding to January 2024.
The increases will be paid with salaries for February and March, and are in line with inflation nationwide in the first month of the year. This recomposition, He will have a pay change starting next April.
Unions and businesses will meet again in March discuss the annual parity taking into account the February and March CPI.
Sports organization workers
The Union of Sports and Civil Workers (UTEDYC) has agreed to a salary increase 13% in Februarybased on the increases agreed until December 2023.
Now, in March, they will meet again to start negotiations for the joint period of 2024.
Hotel, gastronomy and tourism
The Union of Tourism, Hotel and Gastronomic Workers (UTHGRA), chaired by Luis Barrionuevo, agreed to a total increase of 90% quarterly, to be collected in installments of 30% in the months of March, April and May. Further a one-time bonus that will be 15% for February and can be paid until March 20th.
Health
The Federation of Argentine Healthcare Workers Associations (FATSA), led by Héctor Daer, agreed two days ago salary increases for all care sector agreements.
They agreed to a total increase of 45.6% in two cumulative tranches. In a first tranche of 30% in February, on the basis in force from December 2023, and a second tranche in March.
Travel and tourism agencies
The Argentine Federation of Commerce and Service Employees (FAECyS) recorded a 33% improvement in February.
SN
Source: Clarin
