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The union has widely demanded an increase in the state´s budget, particularly in the sectors of health, housing, and education.
Uruguay's State Officials Confederation (COFE) called a 24hour-protest strike on Thursday against salary reform proposed by the government.
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Following negotiations with the Executive Power, the union opposes a salary guideline that would imply a loss of income during the next five years.
According to the teleSUR correspondent in Uruguay Mateo Grille, during the electoral campaign, Luis Lacalle Pou's government promised that both public and private workers would not lose purchasing power.
Los trabajadores públicos de Uruguay paran hoy 24 horas en rechazo a la pauta salarial propuestas por el gobierno para los próximos 5 años. Según los trabajadores se confirma una pérdida salarial sostenida del orden del 5 %. @ConexiontlSUR pic.twitter.com/CgmMYyGYf1
— Mateo Grille (@mateoteleSUR) August 27, 2020
"Uruguay's public workers stopped for 24 hours today in rejection of the salary guideline proposed by the government for the next five years. According to the workers, a sustained wage loss of the order of 5% is confirmed."
However, the salary guideline unilaterally defined by the government affects the incomes of public workers at least during 2021 and 2022, although the government said it was committed to recovering the salary during the last three years of its term.
Moreover, the public sector workers reject the budget cuts established since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the reduction for the next five years. The new budget plan will be submitted to parliament on August 31 to be debated. The budget cut may reach over $900 million.
The union has strongly demanded an increased state budget, particularly in the sectors of health, housing, and education.
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