Subway strike: Tomada says former delegates’ measure is an “extortion”

Amid turmoil among subway workers, Labor Minister Carlos Tomada, called the strike held by the former delegates as “extortion”. He also considers UTA as the only wokers’ representative.

“Formally this isn’t a strike. To be a strike the workers should leave the underground. Strikes are a constitutional right, not a threatening measure, an extortion wich prevents the subway’s normal functioning,” said the minister.

Tomada said that “to issue a compulsory conciliation there should be a conflict between the union and one enterprise. Here there’s no conflict with the union. We can’t dictate UTA the conciliation because there is no conflict.”

“I believe they will get together to find a solution to this, but unfortunatelly that is not the answer” that gave the subway workers, said Tomada.

“Today’s delegates have been chosen by UTA, which represents the subway’s workers. UTA has the representation’s legality.

The Minister argued that the ones who are holding the strike aren’t the delegates but the workers. And they are calling for their trade union registration at the Labour Ministry. They are deepening the conflict in a highly irresponsible way that doesn’t fit with dialogue .

The Labour Ministry’s chief said he had talks with the former delegates to try to find a solution to the union’s claim. “I asked them to wait ten days, until the file returned from the Chamber,” he said.

The head of the Labor Ministry also acknowledged talks with former delegates to try to settle the claim of union status. “I asked them to wait ten days for the file’s return from the Chamber,” he said. But the unionists decided not wait.