January was not a typical month in Mar del Plata. A summer postcard, this time it's not the beaches full of families, but somehow the streets are packed in rejection of the measures taken by the Miley government. The national reality touches every part of the country, even in summer, and even in “la happy”.
As in other cities in the country, mobilization was massive on January 24th. Although the bureaucratic directorates of the CGT and CTA issued a call to stop with many restrictions (from 12 noon, without prior gatherings, with threats of cuts allowed, with life returning to full normality in transport), the workers did not stay at home. Home and went out to demonstrate against the DNU and the comprehensive law.
Extensive columns traveled along Loro Street in Mar del Plata and its annexes, ending at the San Martín Monument, which many were unable to reach due to the size of the invitation.
The Mar del Plata that businessmen always try to hide is expressed in the streets. Mar del Plata, which, even when it works, does not meet its needs, for unstable young people, who have multiple jobs, who travel in overcrowded conditions with very high transport prices and who find it impossible to pay the rent. And in Mar del Plata, those public schools whose roofs collapsed and children who were not guaranteed minimum rights, such as proper nutrition, took to the streets. The streets are filled with health workers who support a fragmented and underfunded public health system at all levels, united only by the efforts of its workers. Women and dissidents took to the streets who would not take a step back, as well as those defending the right to culture and environmental organizations that were fighting for a sea free of oil.
From different parts of the city, major calls were made. Starting from the doors of the CGT and CTA, the various unions and from the independent column held by the social and leftist organizations from Plaza Rocha.
The independent column was organized from a plenary session of employed and unemployed workers, left parties and combat union sectors, who demand from the trade union centers that the national strike be the beginning of a plan of struggle to overthrow the National Democratic Union and the Universal Law. . Because it is clear that trust cannot be placed in the union centers that allowed the various governments’ amendments to be passed.
As the Maroun group in the Provisional Trade Union Confederation suggests, it is necessary to call for associations and build a national battle plan against the National Democratic Union and the Omnibus Law. It also raises the need for an active national strike when voting on the law.
It was shocking to see the large number of workers organized in various trade unions and social and political organizations who said no to Mega DNU, the repressive protocol and the omnibus law.
Health workers in Mar del Plata standing
Health was present with a prominent gathering of CICOP workers, and important delegations from the main health service providers in the region: Oscar Allende Hospital, municipal departments, Titamante Hospital, among others. They sang “Workers' Unity” when they saw other columns passing by.
It has been a long time since a call of this magnitude has arisen in this sector, although the reasons are many, as the local health system is mired in a deep crisis. To build mobilization, in the health sector, rallies, tours and leaflets were held in hospitals and various services so that all health workers could learn about the strike and participate actively.
From List No. 5 in MULTICOLOR of CICOP, we were part of these initiatives, and at the same time we raised the request to hold a conference of union delegates, which had not been held for a long time, so that in all hospitals and health centers, gatherings are held and discussions are held in the provinces on how to confront Milley, the oath plan, and the continuity of the battle plan.
In the streets until they demolish DNU and the law
10 days after Miley took office, on December 20, we took to the streets for the first time to challenge the anti-sit-in protocol and defend the right to strike. That first step allowed pots and pans to be filled that same night across the country, and Mar del Plata was no exception.
24E has formed a beautiful new postcard in the imagination of workers in recent times, with very strong symbolic content: it has shown who makes the country work and where the forces needed to demolish the DNU, the Omnibus Act and both the Miley Amendment and the IMF should be.
Next Tuesday they will try to pass the omnibus law through Congress, where they continue to propose a deepening of the amendment with a zero deficit (which we know are cuts in the budgets of health, education, social areas, etc.), privatization, and delegation of powers in the country. The royal status and the monetization of pensions and salaries continue. They also want to maintain the existing work reform at DNU. From above, Freedom Advances seeks votes, manipulates people and prepares a new plunder of the working people, which is not to be missed.
There is an urgent need for a plan for the struggle with continuity, voted on in the assemblies, and coordination between all sectors of the struggle that would allow the National Unity Law and the Comprehensive Law to be dropped. Here in Mar del Plata, as in different parts of the country, Caserolazo is called on Tuesday, where we will continue to express that the Miley Chainsaw plan will not pass.
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