Many people celebrated Macri’s defeat vividly, probably thinking that the suffocation of seeing the wage lower and evanishing sooner than it should, and hoping that “something better than this” will come.
By Víctor Quiroga
Cristina Fernández, in her speech on Sunday, asked Macri to “take measures to ease the dramatic situation.” On his turn, Alberto (Fernández) warned that “difficult times are coming,” lowering the expectations, while they both demand Macri to “do his job until December 10.” The “job” Macri has been doing over these last months was transferring over 22 thousand million dollars from the Central Bank reserve to the pockets of speculators to hold the rise of the dollar. So… to dilute the workers’ wage, which already lost 20% of its purchasing power, with a raising inflation rate, increasing misery, unemployment, etc.
Is it that Alberto and Cristina think that Macri will do something different than what he has been doing so far to “ease the situation” of workers and the people? Without a doubt, the elected President and Vice-President want Macri to deal with the necessary anti-popular measures until the end of the year. Kicillof, elected Governor of Buenos Aires, already stated, in the euphoria of the end of campaign, that the government is leaving the land “crushed.” So, a “heavy inheritance” that they will want us, workers, to pay (as so far).
“A hand shake”
Macri, in his farewell speech, announced he will organize a “serious and democratic” opposition. While Fernandez, after interviewing with the current president, with coffee and everything, “sincerely” thanked for “the President’s disposal to carry out an ordered transition.” The photo of the hand shake makes part of the messages of calm “to the market,” which does not change at all the suffocating situation in popular homes. In this next 40 days of “transition” the inflation will continue to destroy the purchasing power of our wages. According to economic analysts, in December there will be another leap in the inflation rate, sinking workers down even more. Meanwhile, the businessmen take advantage of the situation to continue adjusting and blackmailing with layoffs, suspensions, “voluntary retirement” and closure of companies, with the complicity of the CGT-CTA and most union leaders that shine for their silence.
“We returned one night, and we will be better now”
We still cannot see where will “the money to put in workers’ pockets” will come from – to honor Alberto’s campaign slogan. But, as things are going now, it will surely not compensate the loss of purchasing power and an annual inflation of about 60%. Thus, all of them – union and social leaders, future government, businessmen, Church and politicians from the opposition are preparing for a new “social contract,” a “prices and wages agreement,” a “social pact,” as the bosses say. Of course… after re-adapting all the prices (which they will continue to do) leaving the businessmen profits intact and naturalizing and legalizing the workers’ and popular losses – “because of the strong Macrista inheritance,” they will say.
Workers must reject this tricky “transition” which increases misery and legalizes the blows we are already suffering. Because the attacks continue, like closure of factories, layoffs and suspensions show. As well as the attack on our living conditions, the deaths for clandestine abortion, the happy-trigger policy, and a long etcetera. Although we respect the hopes of many people that voted on the Fernández to take Macri out, we say to them that we cannot trust at all in the “cordial” interviews, the “ordered transition” or the future government. We must organize meetings, assemblies, plenaries, to prepare ourselves to continue the struggle against the bosses’ and government’s attacks. The leaders of the CGT-CTA cannot keep looking away from this. We should demand them to take measures to confront this situation. The workers transition should be to prepare the struggle.
Translation: Sofia Ballack.