Unions clash, pension reform approved

At least five state workers were injured yesterday as demonstrators of the dissident CTA union umbrella group clashed with members of the UOCRA construction workers union outside the provincial legislature in Santa Cruz province. The clashes broke out during a demonstration by state workers against a pension reform bill sponsored by the provincial government.
The Santa Cruz branch of the CTA announced a 24-hour strike for today to “condemn the actions of the government, who allowed to the UOCRA gang (to act),” said Pedro Muñoz, secretary-general of the Adosac teachers’ union.
Demonstrations were announced for today across Santa Cruz to condemn the clashes. The five injured workers are members of the teachers’ union, the court clerks’ union and the healthcare workers’ union. All five were allegedly attacked by UOCRA members armed with sticks and stones.
UOCRA activists staged a demonstration yesterday morning in front of the provincial Lower House yesterday morning “to support the bills for the construction of dams on River Santa Cruz,” said UOCRA leader Carlos García.
The Santa Cruz teachers were on a 24-hour strike yesterday and marched with other unions to reject the pension reform bill, which was being debated at the provincial legislature at the time.
Teachers said there was no police at the scene of the protest when they were allegedly attacked. “The zone was cleared (by the police) for the UOCRA gang to act,” the teachers’ union said. 

UOCRA members had being accused of violence in the past. Last September, provincial Deputy Omar Hallar (Radical Party) was attacked by UOCRA activists during a protest. In October, UOCRA members clashed with activists of the farleft Workers’ Party (PO).
Santa Cruz deputies passed a controversial pension reform bill yesterday which increases the required years of contribution for retirement from 20 to 25 in order to receive 82 percent of the minimum salary. Those who do not reach the minimum years of contribution will suffer a discount of one percent per year (workers with 20 years of contribution would receive 77 percent of the minimum salary).
Personal contributions also increase from 12 to 14 percent, while employer contributions increased from 14 to 16 percent (teachers’ contribution are currently at 5.5 percent. Pension payments — currently based on the best salary of the last 10 years — will also be changed and will be based on the average salary over the last five years. The reform also establishes a “solidarity contribution” until the age of 60 for women and 65 for men with different scales — from seven to 12 percent — depending on each pension.