The resolution of this dispute will not only determine the smooth flow of air traffic in the coming days but will also set a precedent for the salary policy that the State intends to apply to its most specialized technical staff during the current year.
"We have always maintained an open stance to dialogue, but at this moment we have not been summoned," stated Marcelo Belelli (National Coordinator of ATE-ANAC). The discontent is aggravated by the perception that the National Government is trying to maintain the 'salary ceiling' imposed during the 2025 cycle, which, in the face of inflationary dynamics, would represent a loss of purchasing power that sector workers consider unacceptable.
The strike action is not limited to administrative personnel but also affects critical links in air safety and oversight. For the rest of the day, operational services will develop under the usual dynamics, although the residual effect of accumulated delays could impact airline programming throughout the period.
The axis of the controversy lies in what the union sector qualifies as a 'hidden salary cut.' In this regard, Belelli showed skepticism about an immediate resolution, indicating that there are no signs of a change of course regarding the conflict observed in 2025, which predicts a worsening of the measures if there is no official summons.
The hardening of ATE-ANAC's position occurs at a politically relevant moment for the union.
Buenos Aires, March 15 (NA) - On the eve of a new long weekend, the outlook for commercial air transport in Argentina is complex and marked by uncertainty, as ATE/ANAC workers ratified the intensification of their struggle plan. This determination, based on the stagnation of collective bargaining negotiations, projects a scenario of cancellations and delays that will critically affect federal connectivity from Wednesday, March 18, to Tuesday, March 24, inclusive.
The methodology adopted by the union does not contemplate a total interruption, but a rotational interruption scheme designed to make the claim visible without violating the legal frameworks of essentiality.
Union authorities denounce that agreements reached with the previous management of the Secretariat of Transport have not been honored, added to a lack of superior proposals after 40 days of the alert state being in force.
According to the leadership of ATE-ANAC, the protest will directly impact: Ground Control and Aviation Health: Vital for coordinating movements on the apron and response to medical emergencies. Aviation Firefighters: Whose presence is mandatory for an airport to maintain its operational category. Oversight and Training: Areas in charge of ensuring the system's regulatory standards. This deployment guarantees that the impact will be systemic.
This judicial backing gives the union greater legitimacy and political muscle to face a negotiation that today seems to be at a point of no return.
The conflict tests the response capacity of the national authorities at a time of high sensitivity for the tourism sector. Recently, the National Appeals Court of Labor ruled in favor of ATE after a decade-long dispute, allowing it to join the negotiating table of the Collective Labor Agreement of the Argentine Aerial Navigation Company (EANA S.E.).
"It is convened due to the lack of proposals in the face of the salary cut we suffered in January and February. The schedule for direct impact has been established in two critical time slots: In the morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. In the afternoon/evening, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. During these intervals, technical and operational personnel will limit their tasks exclusively to guaranteeing humanitarian, sanitary, and official flights."
