After a hectic week in terms of education, the one that began promises even more news. Government He has already begun the efforts to hold a meeting with the different parties regarding the salary discussion, something that is stipulated by law, according to what he learned. THE NATION from official sources. The meeting, which does not yet have a date, but everything indicates that it could take place in the middle of this week, will be at the Pizzurno Palace, headquarters of the Ministry of Education. There, in addition to the five educational unions – among them Ctera, which threatens a national strike – the head of the area will be present, Carlos Torrendell and his work pair, Omar Yasin. The meeting will be within the framework of the Federal Council of Education (CFE), which means that the presence of provincial ministers is expected. Strictly speaking, what will be discussed will be the floor of educational salaries so that each jurisdiction, starting from that base, can set its own.
“There are no national parities, what is fixed is the salary floor, then each jurisdiction, if it wants and can pay more, does so,” said official sources.
With the start of classes on hold due to the union demand and the lack of agreement between the provinces and the unions, the national government is also working to declare Education as an essential service. This is something that was initially attempted through the omnibus law that ended up being withdrawn from parliamentary discussion and also through mega decree 70/2023, whose labor chapter is judicialized pending a definition from the Supreme Court. If we move forward with a new decree, the official objective is clear: by declaring it in this way, it is required to have a minimum benefit on the days of forceful measures.
The negotiation regarding teacher salaries that will take place in the coming days arises from article 10 of the Educational Financing Law and is not technically a national joint agreement, as distinguished by the National Executive Branch. “What the Nation calls for is the minimum teaching salary, they are not equal,” official sources stressed. Among the explanations is that joint ventures only occur between employers and employees and since the Nation does not manage the schools this would not be the case. “The joint ventures are provincial,” they insisted, referring to the fact that the employer-employee link is between the provincial governments, which manage the schools, and the unions.
“The idea is to sit down all the parties so that they can agree. The law forces you to do what we are doing, but it is not conceptually a national parity,” they argued at the Casa Rosada.
President Javier Milei reinforced the official position. “It is a problem for the governors of each province. We have an issue, we don’t like setting minimum prices,” said the head of state last week.
“We estimate that the negotiation will be tough, but they will agree. It is in no one’s interest that classes do not start,” an official told THE NATION. At the same time, another estimated that a possibility, too, is that this week’s meeting ends without an agreement, as happened with the meeting of the Minimum, Living and Mobile Wage Council (CSMVyM), in which the President must now give his award.
The Government is also fighting with the provinces over the distribution of funds allocated by the Nation for education, such as the National Teacher Incentive Fund (FONID). Official sources informed THE NATION what “they are insured [los fondos] and they are in the Treasury, with the rest of the transfers from the provinces” the amounts pending for 2023, but they do not ensure that the financial aid will be maintained during 2024. “The FONID does not continue. And they are working on a superior proposal,” said government sources. The presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, for his part, said at a press conference: “The Teacher Incentive Fund is not going to be transferred because we consider that we have no obligation to do so.”
school help
He Government increased by 311% School Aid Allocation, for education from initial to secondary level, taking it to 70 thousand pesos. The benefit, as reported, reaches 7,300,000 children through a decree signed by the President, which was announced five days after he met with Pope Francis and they spoke about the social situation that the country is going through. The head of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello, one of Milei’s most trusted people, and responsible for the Social area, participated in part of that meeting.
The update, whose previous amount was 17 thousand pesos, was promoted by Human Capital and reaches 3,300,000 children associated with the Universal Child Allowance, 3,500,000 minors with parents in a dependency and monotax relationship, and 500,000 associates to retirees and non-contributory pensions. The decree stated that the increase is due to the fact that the country “is going through a situation of unprecedented severity, generating deep imbalances that negatively impact the entire population, especially socially and economically.”
The aid can be requested by families who already receive a Family or Universal Allowance, who have children from 45 days to the month they turn 18 years old and who attend school, whether initial, primary or secondary/polymodal level. . While there is no age limit for those who have children with disabilities who receive special education, attend protected workshops, rehabilitation centers or who receive the support of registered private teachers. The benefit can be requested by entering the My ANSES website, with CUIL and Social Security Code and from there follow the steps requested by the system.
Themes
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Adjustment. The start of classes in almost the entire country is in danger due to the withdrawal of Government resources from the provinces
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Teaching conflict. Kicillof evaluates going to court for the funds in the face of pressure from the unions for joint agreements