Strike off as teamsters win 107% pay hike

WAGE RENEGOTIATIONS

Following weeks of tensión with the threat of a national strike as from next Monday, the teamsters concluded their wage bargaining with an annual hike of 107 percent to be paid in four quotas.

The trade union headed by Hugo and Pablo Moyano signed on Thursday afternoon a wage agreement at the Labour Ministry giving them a bonus of 100,000 pesos next year plus 10 percent extra for long-distance drivers. The agreement runs from next Monday to November 1, 2023.

The strike threatened as from last Wednesday was thus defused as Hugo Moyano signed the agreement with representatives of the transport companies (Faetyl, Fadeeac and Catac) in the presence of the new Labour Minister Raquel ‘Kelly’ Olmos.

The increase will take the form of 27 percent next month, next February and next May followed by 26 percent in August while the bonus of 100,000 pesos will be paid between March and June. The teamsters union houses some 200,000 truck-drivers.

The trade unión had been standing firm on a wage demand of 131 percent with Hugo Moyano threatening strike action if “the recognition which we workers deserve is denied.” At that stage the differences between the two sides were important since the companies were only offering 84 percent.