CGT, UIA: No pact to freeze bill

Deputy Héctor Recalde claims profit-sharing debate will continue

 

The Central Labour Confederation (CGT) union umbrella group and the Argentina Industrial Union (UIA) denied yesterday an alleged pact between the two organizations to suspend discussng the CGT-sponsored profit sharing bill — presented by pro-government Deputy Héctor Recalde — following the death of former president Néstor Kirchner.
Recalde, who is also a lawyer for the CGT, insisted yesterday the initiative will continue its debate in Congress and claimed only the meeting scheduled for tomorrow with members of the UIA was suspended by request of the entity due to Kirchner’s death.
“I though it was sensible (to do it) given the mourning, but that doesn’t (imply) the suspension of the bill’s process (in Congress),” said Recalde.
“It even worked out better for me because I am not in the emotional condition to discuss such important issues while suffering this loss,” added the Lower House lawmaker during a radio interview yesterday in reference to the death of the former president.
The legal adviser for the CGT also considered that the meeting between CGT leader Hugo Moyano and Héctor Méndez, the head of the UIA, after Kirchner’s funeral was “an important step.”

“The rapprochement with some business sectors, such as the meeting with the UIA, were an important step,” said Recalde. “It is good to resume the agenda of major issues that had been interrupted, but in no way that impedes the evolution of situations that had been developing previously,” he added.
Recalde insisted the bill which aims to distribute 10 percent of the company profits between the workers has not been “frozen” and insisted “it will continue its development and evolution, while the CGT also tries to reach an agreement with the business sectors in several other issues.”
“The project continues in the same situation as a week or two weeks ago, it does not alter the institutional life,” said Recalde. “It was impossible to debate the bill in November due to a legislative process, there are many pending issues; but I was not worried in any way about the suspension of the meeting (with the UIA),” he added.
In line with Recalde’s statements, Méndez rejected the
existence of a pact to “freeze” the CGT-sponsored bill, which was strongly criticized by the UIA, and insisted he and Moyano
“did not even talk about the issue” during their encounter at Kirchner’s wake in Government House.
“All I said was that we were in mourning and that it was not appropriate to meet on Tuesday (tomorrow). Due to that situation, people are not in the mood to go and argue about things,” said Méndez.
The UIA leader defined his meeting with Moyano as “an informal talk” during which they “spoke about the possibility of working together to bring security and guarantees in a process where all of us have to collaborate with dialogue.”
“We both agreed we have to sit down at the table together, we will see how things go the next few days but so far we gave a sign, which is important to society, that we can sit down and negotiate,” said Méndez.
On Saturday, Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli also praised the “maturity of the CGT and (local) businessmen” for resuming talks following the death of Kirchner.