Argentina: 200,000 construction jobs recovered

 A mass gathering of workers, attended no less by Argentinian President Alberto Fernández, celebrated the recovery of 200,000 construction jobs in Argentina after they have been lost to the pandemic. 

The event, organised by the BWI-affiliated Construction Workers’ Union of the Republic of Argentina (UOCRA), gathered workers in the construction industry and many other allied workers, including brick workers under the Union Workers of Bricks Industry of the Republic of Argentina (UOLRA), also a BWI-affiliate. Social movement organisations and State Ministers also attended the massive assembly of blue-collar workers and trade union militants. 

In his speech, Fernández recognised the struggle to preserve social reforms achieved since 1945. He also said that said that in 2021, Argentina grew by 10.3 points and plans to grow more than 6 points this year. "We have recovered 1,100,000 formal jobs in Argentina, guaranteeing the rights of workers, who are the second pillar of our economic project,” he said.

Representing the workers’ support for the current government, UOCRA General Secretary Gerardo Martínez said that the solution to Argentina’s "structural problems" lies with different stakeholders working together, not merely with ideological debate.

This was seconded by Fernández. "The real discussion is with those who want to take away workers' rights. We support employers who invest and provide jobs in Argentina. The government is a guarantor of education and public health,” he said.

The event was widely covered and reported by traditional and social media. It was also reported by UOLRA General Secretary Luis Cáceres in a BWI meeting last 27 May, 2022.