This week, the Municipality of Paraná announced to the three municipal unions the offer of a salary increase “of between 30% and 26%” according to the categories to be paid starting July 1. Two of the unions, the Association of Municipal Senior Personnel and Obras Sanitarias had reported that they would present a counterproposal requesting, among other things, that the increase go to the basic salary. But until yesterday the majority union, the powerful Union of Municipal Workers and Employees (Suoyem) had not issued a public statement. It was ruled out that the position regarding the offer would be a little less critical since they have been supporting the administration of Mayor José Carlos Halle from the beginning. However, the union secretary of Suoyem, Ramón Leal, was blunt. “(The proposal) does not satisfy us, it does not satisfy the expectations that we workers have,” he said.
Salary Increase Dispute:
Referring to statements by the municipal Secretary of Finance, Eduardo Macri, who assured that “as of July 1st we will pay the increase”, implying that the decision has been made, Leal wanted to clarify: “Suoyem states that it has not accepted the increase that the accountant Macri talks about. We are analyzing, we are seeing. The worker deserves a salary increase but we are analyzing the offer and it does not satisfy us. It does not satisfy the expectations that we workers have. They should take responsibility so we can all collect,” he said. He insisted: “At no time have we accepted the proposal that the accountant Macri has made: we have simply taken it, we are analyzing it and this week we will take the response to the Municipality, which will surely make another proposal because this one does not meet expectations,” he said.
“Flattening”
Leal pointed out that the percentage increase was not the full basic salary was not received well. “We had not had a salary increase for so long that expectations were high: we expected it to be remunerative and modifiable, but this was proposed for a 30% portion and this does not meet everyone’s expectations,” he reiterated. “From category 1 to 24 we want the increase to serve us all and for the highest bracket the flattening that has been going on for many years is prolonged,” he said. He explained that “by making the increase to the basic salary public, since there are many items within the salary, everything is bonified (that is, the increase impacts all codes: the amount that is stopped for seniority, the amount paid for the title, for function, and other additional items increases). But in this case, the offer bonifies only 10%, of some items.
The scale is flattened with this type of increase,” he reflected. On the other hand, “for those who have many years, title and function, their salary will be increased, but the same does not happen for those who do not have seniority, nor those items. Therefore, seeking that the increase will serve us all, we will bring an idea to the Executive,” he announced.
