CTA stands between Kirchner and De Gennaro

By Pablo Ibáñez

The CTA Argentine Workers' Central umbrella union is about to be leaderless. Unionists' terms of office are coming to an end on Thursday. If parties don't come to a political agreement -which is currently an unlikely scenario-, this 'leaderless' status might be the beginning of a rupture in the umbrella union.

Last night, both candidates running for CTA secretary general, Hugo Yasky (CTERA teachers' union) and Pablo Micheli (ATE civil servants union), continued claiming an irrevocable, personal victory. The Electoral Board is to define the final winner between the two leading rival factions.

The electoral figures are abysmally different. One of the factions claims the difference reaches 24,000 votes, whereas the other sector said it won by nearly 15,000 votes. Yesterday Yasky questioned the delay in the release of the voting results. The unionist deemed this delay 'suspicious.' His sector even denounced some electoral irregularities such as shortage of ballot boxes, as well as gun menaces in Tucumán province

Meanwhile, Pablo Micheli argued the data reporting delay is usual in elections. According to the head of ATE civil servants union, the Electoral Board is to receive the provincial data and the official report is to be released on Tuesday.

There is a high possibility that the Court of Arbitration led by labour law attorney Ricardo Cornaglia will handle the case, which should be solved and closed by Thursday.

There are additional issues. The counting of the electoral votes is questioned in Mendoza and the voting was actually suspended in Ezeiza-Esteban Echeverría districts. San Luis province reported 15,000 votes, whereas the electoral register hits 18,000 affiliates in Buenos Aires province.

If the voting results -to be confirmed by both the Electoral Board and the Court of Arbitration- show different figures, the election is to remain pending until the above-mentioned district stage elections.


The leaderless' status might become one of the many unmendable damages the election caused:

-Former president Néstor Kirchner's involvement in the elections held in the CTA Argentine Workers' Central umbrella union not only accentuated the inner disagreements, but it also triggered a warning signal for the Kirchnerite sector. The current Deputy usually analyzes his approval rating based on the meddle-class and the progressionist sector. Even if the head of CTERA teachers' union wins the election, the Kirchners predicted a resounding victory. As a matter of fact, Yasky's faction lost in more than ten provinces.

-Micheli's faction also showed its inner losses. ATE civil servants union lost the election in Buenos Aires province, where unionist Víctor De Gennaro planned to base his political incursion. If this defeat extends nationwide, De Gennaro's participation in Pino Solanas' Proyecto Sur party is questioned. Yasky's supporters say De Gennaro is the ultimate responsible for Micheli's tough stance. Meanwhile, members of ATE civil servants union accuse the head of CTERA teachers' union of failing to assume the defeat following Kirchner's political pressures.


Both stories show a prelude to a division in CTA Argentine Workers' Central.

The Electoral Board might ratify ATE's complaint and Yasky might appeal to the Court of Arbitration. CTERA teachers' union suggests the delay in the release of the voting results is a strategy implemented by ATE civil servants union to trigger a leaderless' status in the Argentine Workers' Central and cause an inner rupture.

Also, rumour has it that ATE civil servants union's member might seize CTA's headquarters, especially after Micheli convened 17 provincial general secretaries elected last Friday -according to Micheli's data-.


Translated by Jimena Gibert