Operator News
Argentina – All out strike hits Argentina’s casino sector
By Phil - 6 April 2017
Workers from a number of unions in Argentina have joined in the national strike which took place on April 6.
Workers have joined forces to rally against President Mauricio Macri’s austerity measures and to effectively shut down the city during the World Economic Forum’s Latin America summit.
The Association of Management and Maintenance Services for Casino (AMS) announced via its union that they would join the national strike which has been called for by umbrella union the CGT.
Head of the AMS Roberto Páez said that the union had no choice but to go on strike.
“Workers are going through difficult times because what we earn is not enough for us to make ends meet. Costs of services have gone up atrociously, the cost of basic food is the same, as a result they are dissatisfied with salaries. We had no choice but to fight to change this policy.”
Páez said that the situation in the city of Mar del Plata, one of Argentina’s top tourist destinations, was particularly acute.
“The city is experiencing the collapse of the national economy. It has had a bad summer season and experienced a kind of recession in the whole city’s economic circuit. We are in the street to protest this policy that has put us workers in a very bad situation.”
The national strike called for by the main trade union confederation, the CGT, is designed to put increasing pressure on President Mauricio Macri’s center-right government ahead of mid-term congressional elections which are scheduled to take place in six months time. According to the CGT Macri’s reduction on subsidies on fuel and electricity as well as other austerity measures are resulting in lower salaries and less jobs.
The Union of Gaming Workers (ALEARA) has also decided to join the general strike throughout Argentina. According to a statement: “ALEARA is a union that respects the pluralism and political opinion of each of its affiliates, but we understand that on this occasion there are plenty of reasons for the workers of agencies, bingo halls and casinos to join in this measure . . .” The union cited “the constant threats of layoffs” and decreasing purchasing power of salaries as reasons for joining in the strike. The union also said that new taxes were putting jobs at risk.
Last month the government increased taxes on the amount bet via slot machines nationwide from 0.75 per cent to 0.95 per cent according to Presidential decree. The increase in taxes was applied “in order to achieve a greater fiscal balance through the redistribution of the tax burden, generating genuine resources that are necessary for the financing of public expenditures,” and seeks to raise an additional $6bn pesos in revenue for state coffers.
