Gerardo Martínez was unanimously elected as CCSCS General Secretary (Coordinating Committee of the Southern Cone Union Centers) in the plenary meeting held at Montevideo on May 16th. The main central union representatives who are part of the Coordinating Committee were present. Valdir Vicente Barros representing CGT Brazil [General Confederation of Labour], Edson Bicalho from Força Sindical, María Silvia Portela, Manuel Messias from CUT Brazil [Single Central Organization of Workers] José Fazzio and Fernando Berasain for PIT-CNT Uruguay [Federation of Labour Unions], Adolfo Aguirre and Andrés Larisgoitía  CTA Argentina [Argentine Workers Central] and Gerardo Martínez himself, Foreign Affairs Secretary, together  with Marita González and Antonio Jara representing the CGTRA[Argentine General Confederation of Labour]. Furthermore, Adviser Rafael Freire, ORIT – ITUC Economic and Social Policy Secretary was also present. The meeting purpose was to establish the main trade unionists action plan within the frame of regional integration and among the most important international organizations such as the ILO and the WTO, as well as its participation in the ITUC and the new regional and the election of a new General Secretary which appointed Gerardo Martinez from Argentine CGT [General Confederation Labour]
During his speech, Gerardo Martinez stated that as the CCSCS first objective, when it was created in 1986, was to defend democracy and human rights fighting against authoritarian regimes and to articulate a joint action against the External Debt and its effect on the Southern Cone countries economies, today the challenge is working together for a minimum salary, a truly enforcement of labour rights and decent labour conditions. He highlighted that it is necessary to establish a relationship with other civil society members respecting plural interests but also making the difference between the faculties and the intrinsic places related to work whose main characters should be workers, employers and Governments