The National Board of Directors of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) issued a communiqué stating: “The CGT rejects the national government's attempt to apply strictly political sanctions against the members of The Brotherhood and the Union of Tramway and Automotive Transport (UTA), as punishment for these unions' adherence to the central labor body's call for the general strike on February 19.” Through a communiqué published by the Ministry of Human Capital, the national government announced the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against both labor organizations and the threat of applying fines, which are impossible to take seriously, ranging “from 50% to 2,000% of the monthly value of the minimum, vital, and mobile salary for each affected worker” due to the forceful measures. IP Far from pursuing the legitimate union actions of the unions, protected by the National Constitution and inherent in a country where union freedom is exercised, the government should be more concerned with responding to the unstoppable escalation of company closures, the scandalous increase in unemployment, and the brutal fall in the purchasing power of salaries and pensions. If the authorities of the government are concerned about the very high adherence to the last strike called by this central labor body, they must know that it is through work that social conflict is reduced, not through political and union persecution.
