Neoliberal
governments in the region are being hit with a strike wave
Social
organizations and trade unions in South America are protesting in
Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru, mainly to demand more
investment from their governments in education, but also against
neoliberal policies.
In
Argentina, the Union of Education Workers and the Association of
Middle and Higher Education called a 24-hour strike to demand a
higher increase in salaries in the capital city of Buenos Aires. The
unions reject the proposal of an increase of 21.5 percent by the
local government and will march to congress to present their demands
to the government of President Mauricio Macri. "It is one of
the lowest increases in the country and is happening in the richest
district," Eduardo Lopez, general secretary of the UTE, said
to reporters.
Argentina's
inflation was running at an annual rate of 21.6 percent in July. The
teachers are demanding an increase of 35 percent, including 25
percent for this year and 10 percent for what they say they lost last
year. The marchers are also demanding that the disappeared activist,
Santiago Maldonado, be returned alive.
In Chile,
the National Coordinator of Secondary Students called for a march in
the capital city of Santiago to reject the country's new Public
Education Act and demand the municipalities pay the debts they owe
the workers. "We will not allow a pact to rob from public
education with this law of de-municipalization, which is going to
remain in the hands of the next government and a commission of
experts," Francisca Flores spokeswoman of Cones said.
As for
Colombia, the student community at the Industrial University of
Santander organized a large mobilization to reject cutbacks that the
government of President Juan Manuel Santos plans to carry out in
2018. The march to protest against cuts in science, technology, and
innovation starts at the main entrance of the university campus,
located in the northeast city of Bucaramanga.
Meanwhile,
in Peru, the General Confederation of Workers and the Workers Union
are organizing a march through Lima to the congress, although
Peruvian law prohibits any protests close to the legislative branch.
The country's teachers, who have been protesting against lack of
funds for the past two months have been attacked and repressed by the
government of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. "The aim of
the mobilization is to express solidarity with the unions that have
been carrying out protests and strikes, against the anti-popular
measures that come from the PPK neoliberal government, which greatly
affect the working class and the people," said the unions in
a statement.
In Paraguay,
the teacher's union confirmed a strike until Friday to demand wage
increases, with a march to the headquarters of the Ministry of
Education and Science and the Ministry of Finance. They will request
"compliance with the law and the implementation of basic
professional salary," Silvio Piris from the Teachers
Federation of Paraguay, said. The teachers rejected the proposal of
the government of Horacio Cartes of a gradual increase of 8 percent
for teachers who have been working for more than 20 years. Those who
have less seniority will only get 5 percent. The teachers want an
increase of 32 percent.
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