Argentina - Moyano: 'I wouldn't vote for CFK's reelection'

Moyano come on the stage today to say that voting for President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on 2013 presidential election was unlikely.

CGT Labour Confederation head Hugo Moyano came on the stage today to say that him voting for President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2013's presidential election was highly unlikely.

The umbrella union leader said he personally would not cast a ballot for what would be the President's third term and said it would be “masochist act” to do so.

The statements were made in a radio interview today, when Moyano was asked about his voting intentions for 2013’s presidential elections.

As well as announcing he personally would not vote for her, the CGT boss accused the Head of State of trying to cause fractions within the union’s movement.

“We still haven’t got answers to demands we made. It would masochist to vote for her, I personally wouldn’t do so.

“They call for union, but they were the ones dividing the workers’ movement,” Moyano said.

Yesterday, the umbrella union boss criticized President Fernández de Kirchner for “dancing” at a time when “despairing people” were protesting against crime, and slammed government “arrogance.”

The union leader also condemned his opponents within the organized labour movement, and described the behaviour of unions close to the national government who met with the President at Government House on Monday night as “clowns” while stating that “the actual role of the union leader is to give the people answers.”

'Moyano's power is starting to wither,' Pichetto

The head of the Kirchnerite Junta bloc in the Senate Miguel Ángel Pichetto, spoke today in heavy criticism of secretary-general of the CGT umbrella union Hugo Moyano, and said that “he had more power before marching to the square than after,” referring to Wednesday’s mass rally to the Plaza de Mayo.

“With regard to the rally, frankly it was completely unnecessary. The strike was politically fuelled, paying attention to union demands that had already been settled in wage talks,” Pichetto continued.

“Moyano’s role in the CGT with regard to his leadership is starting to weaken.” (SW - The is no proof to show his leadership is weakening, in fact its the exact opposite)

Furthermore, the Victory Front lawmaker stated that “the head of the CGT needs to be on the same side as the Government.”

The remarks made by Pichetto were in reference to the mass rally Hugo Moyano led to the Plaza de Mayo on Wednesday where his faction of the CGT went out to defend the wage income tax that they wanted changed for civil servants.

“Test of strengths” shows Moyano is capable of challenging Cristina Fernandez

The two call for dialogue but at the same time argue they are victims of extortion so it is difficult to see reconciliation, rather as escalation of the confrontation between President Cristina Fernandez and organized labour chief Hugo Moyano, particularly following on Wednesday national strike and rally at Plaza de Mayo.

According to analyst Fraga, the rift can be expected to widen.

Rosendo Fraga, one of Argentina’s main political analyst and historian in a column in La Nacion writes that the “test of strengths” has shown that Moyano, who had seen his power eroded to the hands of CFK electoral success and plotting to divide the labour movement with Wednesday’s rally is capable of putting up a strong resistance although not necessarily to grow an alternative.

Furthermore, according to Fraga dialogue negotiations are not in the genetics of Cristina Kirchner’s way of thinking and strategy, which only comes to confirm the growing distance between the two leaders.

On the Moyano side the personal attacks from the organized labour chief and his son Pablo, head of the teamsters regarding the origin of the Kirchner couple wealth and their activities during the last Argentine military dictatorship, far from closing the gap, further open it.

Moyano the only speaker at the rally, as union chief and not as political leader, recalled that in Argentina during the military regime there were those who sought exile in other countries and others “who took refuge in Patagonia”, while many of those who now make up the current administration, kept quiet and hid under their beds. “Workers and union leaders meantime were fighting to help recover democracy and restoration of human rights”.

Even when Argentine unions’ tactics have been to push, push and then negotiate, Fraga says “this is not working now, and looking ahead most probably the conflict not only will continue but will escalate”.

Moyano has called for a new support demonstration in two weeks time, July 12 in coincidence with the CGT congress that should re-elect him but most probably will be ignored by the Ministry of Labour and his unions’ adversaries.

And “the most probable division of the labour umbrella organization CGT will make it more difficult and not easier for a rebuild of the broken relation between Moyano and the Casa Rosada”

However with Moyano as the only speaker the rally was essentially a workers protest in spite of the fact through the social network most of the anti-K forces from farmers to opposition members of parliament were convened but were not to be seen.

At the end of the day “Moyano must realize he has shown to have the necessary strength to resist but yet not, to grow. On the Cristina Fernandez side it must be aware of this fact and that the rapidly changing economic situation for the worse will only further boost political and social conflicts” concludes Fraga.

“Only a few months ago the government strategists believed they could win placing Moyano as the enemy, but now that does not seem so clear”.