UNI in solidarity with TV workers in Argentina demanding a decent wage

UNI Global Union is supporting a day of action by its Argentinian affiliate in the television industry SATSAID. 

You can join the action by posting on social media with the hashtag is #SATSAIDEnLucha.

On February 3, the union is calling for employer associations Cámara Argentina de Productoras Independientes de Televisión (CAPIT) and Asociación de Teleradiodifusoras Argentinas (ATA) to give workers a 24 per cent raise in the first quarter of 2023. Collective agreements with the employer groups cover workers in free-to-air TV stations and independent television production companies.

With annual inflation running above 90%, workers seek to recuperate some of the purchasing power they’ve lost. 

“We have asked for a fair and reasonable wage increase that will allow these workers’ to continue to support their families in the face of rising inflation,” said Horacio Arreceycor, SATSAID General Secretary. “It is outrageous and insulting that the employers are refusing to meet this call.”

Last month, the employers initially offered a 12 per cent pay rise, half of what the workers are demanding, and they later raised their offer to 17 per cent.

After the union rejected this offer and walked off the job on 18 January, the Ministry of Labour intervened. After the employer groups rejected a compromise offer by the labour ministry, SATSAID members launched another strike on 27 January.

The ministry has now ordered a mandatory arbitration process that prohibits another strike until 26 February. SATSAID plans to walkout again if an agreement is not reached during the conciliation period.

The union is supported by several other labour organizations in the country, the region and across the world.

“We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with SATSAID as they fight for workers in television. We support you at the bargaining table and in the streets until you get the pay rise you deserve,” said Marcio Monzane, Regional Secretary of UNI Americas. 

You can join the action by posting on social media with the hashtag is #SATSAIDEnLucha.