Argentina's Santa Fe wage talks pause awaiting offer; Santa Cruz secures 17.8% raise

The Government of Santa Fe province held its first wage‑negotiation meeting for the second half of the year on Thursday, bringing together ministries of Government, Economy and Labour with the ATE and UPCN unions. No salary proposal was presented; both sides agreed to a “fourth interim” and will reconvene on 21 July when the executive plans to submit an offer. Union leaders stressed the need to maintain guaranteed minimum wages that protected lower‑paid workers during the first semester, and teachers and health professionals reiterated demands for inflation‑plus adjustments and regularisation of contract staff.

In a separate provincial agreement, Santa Cruz’s Instituto de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda (IDUV) reached a cumulative 17.8 % salary increase – 12 % in July, 2.1 % in September and 3 % in October – covering active staff, retirees and pensioners. The deal also includes permanent‑plant placement for qualifying employees and continued dialogue on collective‑bargaining matters through the second semester.