National educational parity: the Government has reached an agreement with the unions and a return to school is expected without conflict

The government has closed teacher parity with national unions. The minimum starting salary for teachers will have an increase of 33.5% until July and it will go to 130 thousand pesos from March. During the meeting, in addition to the Minister of Education, James Perczykthe president attended Alberto Fernandezthe Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, and his pair of works, Kelly Olmos.

The five unions with national representation took part in the negotiations: CTERA, UDA, CEA, SADOP and AMET. All accepted an increase in three tranches: 17.5% in March, 8% in May and another 8% in July. The agreement provides for two reviews, one in May and the other in July.

The signing of parity comes less than two weeks before the start of the school year across the country, which allows us to glimpse a start without major conflicts unions beyond the fact that now each province must negotiate with its base unions. Classes resume on Wednesday March 1except in the city of Buenos Aires where they will resume two days before.

“Our government’s policy decision from day one has been that education workers not only do not lose to inflation but also get their salaries back, and this agreement is a sign of that commitment,” said Perczyk at the end of the meeting. .

National parity in teaching consolidates the minimum salary for a teacher across the country, ie the floor for the provinces to negotiate. Since March, the minimum salary for a teacher without seniority will be 130,000 pesos, although many districts exceed this floor.

In addition to the increase in the minimum wage, an agreement was 33.5% increase in the National Teacher Incentive Fund (FoNID)), which is the only salary element paid by Nation. The increase will be in two tranches: one part in March and another in May.

In this regard, the head of education highlighted the “work and commitment of the unions and the Ministry of Economy to agree an increase several days before the start of the school year and give certainty and predictability to the provinces”.

Yesterday afternoon, the government of Buenos Aires made the first offer to the teachers’ unions. The proposal envisages a 60% increase in several sections that are not yet defined for the whole year. After two hours of trading, the parity passed to the intermediate chamber and would close next week.

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