The conflict between the municipality and Surrbac once again had a direct impact on the waste collection service. This time, the city of Córdoba woke up to a significant amount of accumulated garbage. The union claims that the problem "is not about wages," but the records and the facts indicate exactly the opposite.
The union requested a 10% increase plus a bonus for the March-June quarter, an amount that the municipality considered unfeasible. The refusal resulted in a diminished service, with waste piling up in key areas such as downtown and the northern and southern access routes. Meanwhile, the city was caught between demands and inaction.
In parallel, the Secretariat of Environment released contradictory messages, which demonstrates the lack of coordination within the Executive. While one statement attributed the problem to union actions for wage-related reasons, Secretary Gabriel Martín himself stated that "the issue is not about wages." The lack of clarity fueled the conflict.
El sindicato solicitó un 10% de aumento más un bono por el trimestre marzo-junio
A union structure that imposes itself without control or transparency
Since its inception, Surrbac has maintained its autonomy by securing agreements always above those of Camioneros, which explains the systematic demands. The union was born as a split during the CFK-Moyano conflict, and since then it has needed to differentiate itself with higher wage negotiations. The city pays the price, overwhelmed by garbage, without debate.
The wage gap between Surrbac collectors and those of Camioneros is around 40% to 50%, according to sources within the system itself. That gap was built over years of opaque negotiations. The agreements with COyS are not public and, although rumors circulate, the actual documentation is almost inaccessible even for council members.
The strategy is always the same. Surrbac first reaches an agreement with COyS, pressures the other providers to accept that minimum, and the municipality ends up readjusting. The companies, whose payrolls represent more than 70% of the total cost, have no margin to absorb the increases.
Franco Saillén, titular de Surrbac
Accumulated garbage and municipalities trapped by an uncontrolled union
The "work-to-rule" action initiated by Surrbac affected not only Córdoba Capital, but also the towns that use the Piedras Blancas site. Although the service was not stopped in the metropolitan area, the unloading of waste slowed down by union decision. The consequences quickly became evident on provincial streets and highways.
At its core, the union uses the provision of the service as a tool to validate its wage demands. It does so by disguising the conflict as a lack of operational resources. However, there is no evidence of material shortages, but rather a political struggle to maintain privileges that the municipal system can no longer finance.
Last Friday, the Municipality achieved an unprecedented expedited mandatory conciliation, since there was not even a declared strike. Some in the union say they did not expect it. The speed with which the provincial Ministry of Labor acted was surprising, but it did not solve the underlying cause, which remains unchanged.
Complejo de tratamiento de residuos de Piedras Blancas, Córdoba
A municipality that inherited the problem, but also fuels it
Surrbac did not become stronger spontaneously. It grew under the complicity of administrations that gave in to every demand, without setting limits. From 2009 to today, no mayor, whether from the Radical or Peronist party, questioned the union's operations or made the waste collection system transparent.
The municipality now faces a sharp drop in revenue, without national subsidies and with debts carried over from the Mestre era. The fiscal situation is worsening because waste collection, one of the most expensive services, can't be adjusted. Each agreement with Surrbac means updating costs that Córdoba can't cover or audit.
Price readjustments have been frozen since May of last year and the providers are waiting for the municipality to unlock them. They prefer Surrbac to do the dirty work, forcing the wage discussion that acts as the key to reopening those accounts. The result: higher expenses, less control, and dirtier streets.
