Paritarias 2023: the unions that closed the best deals this year

The Ministry of Labor informed this Tuesday that the actual salary measured by the index of average taxable remuneration of permanent employees (RIPTE) it rose 8.1% in June, when inflation in the same month was at 6%. In real terms, earnings of registered workers recovered in the fall of the second half of 2022 and was 1.2% above December 2019, according to official data. But along this path there are different realities depending on the union and the joint agreements reached for the first seven months of the year. According to an analysis carried out by Observatory of Social Law at the Institute of Studies and Training of the KTA – Autonomic, this year would be characterized by a large dispersion in the negotiations. Which unions are fighting the biggest inflation battle so far?

“What is Paritarias 2023 up to?” Louis Field, coordinator of the Observatory of the Autonomous KTA. The results of each parity affect the relative power of each union to conduct a negotiation. However, the relative strength of each organization would not be sufficient to explain the strong dispersal found. “What there is is a lack of clear pattern, with sharp changes in prices from month to month. This mainly affects activities that have less bargaining power,” it said.

For example, some examples. In the case of petroleum products, this year’s rate includes a 79.9% wage restructuring through June; In the case of SMATA, the deal closed was 51.7%, with a final installment to be paid in July.

In contrast, UTA clocked 102% through September. The other unions that will also receive the latest increase in the ninth month of the year are Commerce (56.6%), UOM (69%) or UOCRA (57.9%).

The key reading for this scenario would be this, according to Campos’ explanation: “Taking the agreed wage increases of the first seven months of the year, some include the last tranches of parity in 2022 and the first in 2023.” Therefore, some sectors show 70% variation, while others have not even reached 50% reconstitution, as in the case of Utedyc or gas stations.

in dialogue with Apocalypse, Campos explained that some of this dispersion is due to the fact that “macro variables continue to be mismatches.” “When this cycle of parity negotiations began, during the government of Nestor Kirchner, there was a certain pattern that could be felt. There was even coordination between the Ministry of Labor and the Trade Unions. But because inflation now varies so much from month to month, it’s easy to delay any negotiation,” he explained.

There were sectors that have already closed annual agreements (mutual, insurance) and others that have not yet made progress in this year’s negotiations, such as truckers or tires, the latter in conflict for a few weeks.

“In other words, between PASO and the October elections, wages will have to be renegotiated in almost all activities. And it does not seem that this is going to happen in a context of macroeconomic calm”, explained the Observatory of Social Law at the Institute of Studies and Training of the CTA – Autonomous.

Carrera

According to data from the statistical series published by the Ministry of Labour, RIPTE rose 2.1 points against inflation in June; although it reflected a 0.7% year-on-year decline. The race between prices and wages continues to accelerate. Both indices are already up 115% year-on-year.

Another indicator showing how the wage improved can be found in the July collection, for example. Social security resources increased by 127.2% “due to the good performance of the level of employment and wages”, the Federal Office of Public Revenue (AFIP) explained.

Total jobs rose 3.6% year-over-year, while average gross earnings rose 119.1% year-over-year, above the estimated increase in prices.

Another element that should be highlighted has to do with the participation of wages in Gross Value Added. During the first quarter of the year, all employees, whether under formal status or without employment rights, increased their share of the economy’s income and profit piewhile private companies retreated in their participation.

Compensation for wage labor increased by two percentage points compared to the previous year (48.4% of gross value added), while gross operating surplus decreased by three points.