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Martinez: Around 25,000 workers are owed back pay

Building Workers Union (UOCRA) General Secretary referred to the jobs lost due to the status of public works in the activity. "This situation must be quickly solved because people cannot remain without a job," he said.

Building Workers Union (UOCRA) General Secretary Gerardo Martínez, said today that "around 25,000 building workers are owed pay back, without taking into account 15,000 seasonal workers".
Martinez gave these figures when radio Con Vos (With You) asked him about how many jobs were lost, lower figures than the ones released by the Argentinean Chamber of the Building Industry who estimated them at 30,000.
In this regard he noted that "every new Government has a margin of manoeuvre to observe the general situation in the construction of public works".
"What struck me most- he said - is that meanwhile the decision to freeze payments, without the need of understanding with pragmatic, realistic attitude in those endeavors, there are people, there are workers who need to go on living, because his work is the only resource they have".
In that regard he explained that "I think there is lack of management, criteria of solidarity or commitment with what the State ought to be as regards public policies to maintain the culture of work".
The unionist said that "there I have a dichotomy, between the room for manoeuvre that a new Government has or perhaps there are officials who don't realize that driving the State is something important and that works have hundreds of thousands of workers".
"This situation must be quickly solved � he added - because people cannot remain without a job and we are going to fight beside people"
After pointing out that "we are going through circumstantial times", he clarified that "we are not seeking conflict, we do not want conflict".
When he was asked about how much they think to claim in collective bargaining negotiations, Martinez pointed out that "most of the trade unions are claiming for an average 30 per cent and I do not think that anybody can consider anything under that percentage".
Finally, he showed himself in favour of a "renewal in Peronism, but with debate, without sectarianism or fanaticism".

Source Télam

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