Buenos Aires Unions Reject Salary Offer

All participating unions flatly rejected the proposed salary offer. From the Buenos Aires Teachers' Unity Front (FUDB), which brings together the main unions in the education sector, they valued the continuity of dialogue but made it clear that the proposal is not enough to cover the current needs of workers. “In view of the 2026 negotiations, it is essential to discuss not only a salary that keeps up with inflation, but also a readjustment that recovers what has been lost and guarantees decent conditions for teaching in Buenos Aires,” they stated from the union space. In parallel, teacher unions emphasized the need to urgently move forward with negotiations to achieve a 2025 closure that includes a real recovery of purchasing power. “The salary increase must respond to the needs of education workers,” they indicated, while insisting on the presentation of a new salary proposal. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Labor, Public Employment, and Treasury, along with authorities from the Directorate General of Culture and Education. Before the meeting, the general secretary of Buenos Aires ATE, Claudio Arévalo, recalled that the governor had committed to continuing the salary discussion in January. From the union, they insisted on the need for an income readjustment, in addition to demanding the recovery of purchasing power and the continuity of transitions to permanent status, especially in sensitive areas such as health and education, where situations of labor precariousness persist. The Buenos Aires Judiciary Association (AJB), for its part, expressed its concern about the lack of concrete progress. The union had formally requested the continuity of the 2025 collective bargaining agreement and the opening of the 2026 negotiation. “After the last meeting, held on December 23, we are awaiting a new call that should have taken place in the first days of January, which has not yet occurred,” they stated from the entity, warning of growing discontent among judicial workers. Teacher, state, and judicial unions rejected the first salary offer presented by the Buenos Aires provincial government, which consisted of a 1.5% increase, considering it insufficient in the face of the erosion of purchasing power. Following the meeting, negotiations were adjourned pending a new call with a better proposal. The offer was presented within the framework of the collective bargaining meetings that the Axel Kicillof administration resumed this week with the different provincial public employment sectors. Collective bargaining in the province of Buenos Aires began with tension.