The National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences has warned that DNU threatens Conisit

The National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (ANSIFN) warned that the Decree of Necessity and Urgency 70/2023 “seriously threatens the survival of CONSET”, while warning of the start of layoffs of administrative staff at the institution and considering the postponement of the call for scholarships and promotions in the research profession as an “extremely harmful” measure. “Until the final budget for 2024 is formed.

“A few months ago, this academy alerted the scientific community and citizens in general to statements by a presidential candidate in which he proposed the closure or privatization of Conesit,” begins the statement issued in the last few hours by the scientific body.

He added in the text, “This candidate is now the President of the Republic and, through the effective Decree of Necessity and Urgency 70/2023, has taken the first steps in this direction that seriously threatens the survival of Conisit.” Signed by Academy President Victor Ramos; Vice President Gloria Dubner and Secretary Miguel Laborde.

In the statement, titled “Declaration in Defense of Science,” the academics detailed actions taken by the new government headed by Javier Miley that they consider “seriously harmful” to Conisit’s work.

Among them, they warned that “the dismissal of 50 administrative employees in recent days, as part of a staff whose ranks have been exhausted due to meager salaries,” negatively affects the organization’s operational capabilities.

In turn, they stressed that stopping the payment of overtime wages also affects workers at Conset Company, “whose salaries constituted a large part of that item to compensate for the dedication they were providing to the organization.”

On the other hand, the statement warned of the state of uncertainty experienced by “many employees of research institutes and headquarters who carry out administrative tasks and have been working for years according to Article 9, with their contracts extended until March 31.”

In addition, academics rejected the decision reported by Conicet this week to postpone the publication of the results of the call for scholarships and promotions in the research profession, until the final budget for 2024 is formed.

“It is a situation that has not only raised great concern among scholarship recipients and young researchers, but also seriously affects the research conducted by Conicet in various institutes as subsidies to various programs have not been paid and funded, which they point out is leading to paralysis of activity.

In this sense, they added, “Defunding Conicet, reducing its already meager staff, and withdrawing operational capacity, will take one of the most prestigious research institutions in Latin America, which has given so much to the country and its people, into a state of disarray.” In case of famine, there would be no need to close it.

At the end of the statement, the Ancefn Board of Directors asked Conicet authorities and the Chief of Staff to take “urgent action to reverse this situation.”

With information from Telam