Social Days: «Argentina, get up and work»
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Por: Fr. Ignacio Pérez | Fuente: Zenit.org-Aica

At the end of the social conference on "The Culture of Work", which since Friday was developed in this tourist city, the Episcopal Commission of Social Pastoral announced a message entitled «Argentina, Get up and work». 

The text was written by Father Ignacio Pérez Del Viso S.I., based on the conclusions of the participants, and read in the closing by the Apostolic Administrator of Resistance and President of the Commission, Monsignor Carmelo Giaquinta; the Bishop of Merlo-Moreno, Monsignor Fernando Bargalló, and the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Monsignor Jorge Lagazio. 

This is the message. 

 

* * * 

We resume the social weeks of Mar del Plata, to be present today, as a Church, in the world of work that for many is the world of lack of work, precarious work or work in black. We do not want to offend them with speeches, but only to accompany them with some reflections and proposals that will help us to get out of this situation. 

Statistics say that unemployment has declined over the past year, which makes us happy, but the number of unemployed is still alarming. And although these were few, the anguish of one family afflicts us all, as when a single boy needs a transplant to survive.

We have to imagine the country project we want and the values that encourage it, agreeing this model with all the social sectors. We want to regain the credibility of Argentina so that investments come and increase jobs, but above all we want to trust our country again. 

We need greater transparency in society and it hurts us to know today that bonuses were paid instead of generating jobs. Nor do we expect the State to solve all the problems. It is the whole society that must change, as the whole Church must accompany the workers. 

We need policies that promote the national industry and not allow uncontrolled importation to leave a veil of molten companies and street workers. This policy of a certain protection applies to European countries. We must also act in community form with the partners of MERCOSUR and the Latin American brothers and sisters. We also need exports to win in added value. 

In an Argentina that focuses on the Capital, we must generate regional policies, on a human scale, that balance the opportunities of work and mitigate the problems of migration. We recover the railway, take care of the natural resources and promote the development of alternative energies. Let to the degradation of the environment, particularly when it affects the poorest. 

We seek to recompose the links, with their social environment, of the unemployed, the picketers, the trustees and the marginalized in general. Let's promote the culture of dialogue that seeks consensus and respects diversity. Catholics want to work together with Christians from other churches, with believers from other religions and with all people of goodwill to rebuild the Argentina we love so much. 

To develop a culture of work with a country project that is sustained over time, we propose some more immediate implementation measures. We ask first of all that social plans are transformed into a strengthening of temporary employment and that they are not automatically withdrawn from the one who has achieved some work. 

We propose that policies of tax promotion for small enterprises be generated, that the possibility of creating a financial fund to promote SMES, family businesses and micro-enterprises is considered, to support the companies recovered by workers and small farmers, to study the complex problem of black work, to find solutions that do not harm workers.

To advance this way we encourage the creation of dialogue tables at provincial and municipal level that deal with labor problems in coordination with the National Bureau of Argentine Dialogue, we suggest that the tasks of volunteering be linked with the projects of creation of work, we invite the laity to assume greater responsibilities since the Social Pastoral is of the whole Church, we propose the creation of a network of social projects incorporated to the Federal Network of Dialogue, we wish that the action of this Social Pastoral Commission to be developed in coordination with that of Caritas and other episcopal commissions, such as aboriginal pastoral, migrants, health and penitentiary, and to study and disclose the Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church of recent publication. 

We signed this message on May 8th, 2005, Day of the Virgin of Lujan. Mary as the carpenter's wife is a source of inspiration for all who want to regain the culture of work.