The municipality of Santa Rosa and the unions A.T.E and S.O.E.M have reached a collective agreement to grant a new salary increase to municipal employees. The agreement, announced by the municipal mayor Flor Destéfanis, establishes a 15% increase for all employees, both permanent and temporary.
This increase will be applied in three phases, demonstrating a gradual but steady commitment to improving the working conditions of municipal workers. First, a 5% will be implemented with the October salary, followed by 5% in November and finally 5% in December.
In addition to these monthly increases, an extraordinary non-remunerative bonus of $80,000 has been agreed to be paid in November for Municipal Employee Day for all categories, including those hired for service contracts, and another bonus to be paid in January amounting to $50,000. This fourth increase establishes a cumulative total of 129.77%, far exceeding the INDEC inflation rate of 101.6% for September 2024.
Representing the executive, the Secretary of Government Magdalena Ascurra, the Undersecretary of Finance and Treasury Orlando Lemos, the Director of Human Resources Franco Vázquez, and the Legal Advisor José Sardi participated in the negotiations. From the Municipal Workers and Employees Union (S.O.E.M), María Escudero and Javier Ponce were present, while from the State Workers Association (A.T.E.), Rosa Videla and Evangelina Prospitti attended.
Mayor Flor Destéfanis celebrated the agreement and emphasized that this has been made possible thanks to an administrative and accounting order that allows for empathy and the improvement of workers' conditions, even surpassing inflation rates. Destéfanis stated: "The good management of resources allows us to put ourselves in the place of our coworkers to improve their working situation."
In addition to the salary increase, allowances have also experienced significant percentage increases, such as a 50% increase in child allowances, for children with disabilities, and for marriage, a 150% increase in large family allowances, a 250% increase in birth and prenatal allowances, a 25% increase in schooling allowances, and a 125% increase in spouse allowances.
This collective agreement reflects a joint effort between the municipality of Santa Rosa and the unions to ensure wage improvements and working conditions for municipal employees.