San Juan's government defended its teacher wage policy amid an ongoing bargaining round, with unions consulting their members before bringing a final response back to the table.
Government Secretary General Emilio Achem said the province increased teacher salaries more than any other in Argentina during the first half of the year and that Marcelo Orrego's administration significantly improved its position in the national ranking.
According to the official, San Juan inherited teacher salaries in the next-to-last place among the 24 jurisdictions and now stands in seventh place. That comparison seeks to support the government's strategy amid union pressure and income deterioration.
Negotiations with UDAP, UDA and AMET will continue on Monday, July 13. In the latest meeting, which lasted more than nine hours, the executive branch presented a revised offer: a 3% increase in August and another 3% in October, replacing the initial scheme of bimonthly increases.
The proposal also includes improvements in specific items such as the teacher scale, the connectivity supplement and updated percentages for those working in remote areas under the concept of unfavourable zones.
Achem linked the ability to sustain increases to an internal austerity policy. He said the fall in national tax revenue directly affects co-participation resources and that the province reduced its political structure, filled only part of available posts and eliminated supplements for cabinet members.
The official also argued that, by prioritising state wages, San Juan must seek external financing to sustain housing, drinking water, sewer and road works. In that context, he highlighted the Financing Law for provincial development and growth.
The teacher wage dispute has thus become a synthesis of San Juan's fiscal agenda: restoring income, containing union conflict, keeping accounts balanced and securing resources for public works amid lower national revenue and budget adjustment.
