Despite the rain, hundreds of workers in Quito marched from the headquarters of the Ecuadorian Institute for Social Security (IESS) to the city’s historic center carrying placards in support of decent employment and against attempts at privatization.
The President of the Unitary Front of Workers (FUT), Marcela Arellano, explained to Prensa Latina that the IESS is currently being taken over by a board that does not represent the working class, but rather businessmen and the government.
One of the most heard slogans at the demonstration was “IESS is not for sale, IESS defends itself”.
FUT Vice-President José Villavicencio told the agency that the executive intends to transfer the pension funds to private individuals, thus avoiding a million-euro debt to the IESS.
They are trying to raise the retirement age, to cut pensions, and against this we call this mobilization in defense of life, said the union leader.
The organizations expressed their opposition to the appointment of Richard Gómez, President of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, as a member of the IESS affiliates, considering him an ally of President Lasso’s CREO party.
Regarding the government-sponsored referendum, Villavicencio and Arellano insisted on its fallacious nature, as it would not solve the country’s main problems, neither employment nor education nor health nor security.
The eight questions that will appear on the ballots aim to make changes to the constitution on issues such as the extradition of Ecuadorians, the autonomy of the prosecutor’s office, the reduction in the number of assembly members, changes in the council for civic participation and social control of the environment .
For the FUT, the real purpose of the consultation is to keep the current control authorities in place so that they have the government’s back in the face of acts of corruption that have recently been revealed, commented Villavicencio.
jha/avr