Govt Intervention Helps End Telefónica Labor Conflict

Mediation by the Argentine government in a labor dispute between telco Telefónica de Argentina and local telecom workers' union Foetra has helped end a 36-day strike, state news service Télam reported.

Foetra, the labor ministry and TAR have agreed to negotiate a new collective agreement, including special provisions for outsourced personnel, over the next twelve months. In return, Foetra agreed to end its strike.

The company will also pay 70% of the strikers' wages for the time they were involved in the dispute.

During the labor conflict TAR temporarily closed some commercial offices and several customer services were suspended.

Foetra has been pushing for nearly 2,000 outsourced TAR workers to be given status as Foetra members, rather than members of the Argentine construction workers' union Uocra.

TAR's outsourced personnel work mainly on expansion of the company's network infrastructure.

BNAmericas.com"

Posted to the site on 6th November 2006