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According to a report published in July by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Uruguay is the country that has invested the least in social programs to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Uruguay's Single Central Union of Workers (PIT-CNT) alongside other labor organizations carry on Thursday a 24-hour strike to denounce the lack of budget for social policies, policies against gender violence, and the fate of the disappeared.
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During a press conference from the headquarters of the PIT-CNT, its president Fernando Pereira remarked that "the struggle is permanent," as thousands of workers face an economic crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic and poverty increases across the nation.
"There is a loss of jobs, loss of wages, the most vulnerable sectors of poverty are not served, 100,000 people are eating in popular pots, these are sufficient reasons to stop," Pereira explained.
teleSUR's correspondent in Uruguay, Mateo Grille, reports that the workers reject the budget proposal put forward by the cabinet of President Luis Lacalle Pou, which implies a reduction in several sectors of the economy.
��PARO GENERAL 24 HORAS��
— PIT CNT (@PITCNT1) September 17, 2020
��#YOPARO��
Este jueves las y los trabajadores paramos por un Uruguay en Movimiento para seguir avanzando en derechos y para que cada uruguayo/ya tenga una vida digna.
PIT- CNT pic.twitter.com/PE3T32V8QG
"This Thursday, we workers stopped for an Uruguay on the Move to continue advancing in rights and so that each Uruguayan / already has a dignified life."
Furthermore, the unions reject the Urgent Consideration Law, considered the president's political program, and enacted on July 10. The workers also demand an increment in the budget allocated to housing, education, and health.
According to a report published in July by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Uruguay is the country that has invested the least in social programs to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The union also points out that although it has maintained a dialogue with the government, the outcome of the negotiations has been damaging for the workers as the government discusses its 5-year budget in Parliament.
On August 27, another strike was led by the State Officials Confederation (COFE), which represents public workers. The union opposed the government's decision to cut salaries as part of their budget plan, at least during 2021 and 2022. The workers demanded president Lacalle to abide by his electoral promise of not affecting the purchasing power of both private and public workers.
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