President Javier Milei’s government has classified (10) in Argentina as an “attack on the Republic.” The stoppage, convened by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the largest trade union center in the country, is the third since the Ultraliberal took over the pink house in December 2023. The movement occurs in a context of strong social tension, characterized by mass layoffs and a drop in consumption that already lasts 15 consecutive months.
With partial adhesion, the strike mainly affected the sectors of transport and public services. Aerolíneas Argentinas canceled more than 250 flights, impacting more than 20,000 passengers. In trains and the subway, the stoppage was total, while the buses circulated with great demand in Buenos Aires – the Union Transvaries Automotor (UTA), the main union of the sector, chose not to join the movement.
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“It is an attack on the Republic. The union caste attentive against millions of Argentines who want to work,” said a government notice released at train stations. The executive also advised workers to report any attempted coercion to join the strike.
Throughout the day, ministers and allies of the president have spoken on social networks in a combative way. “Today you work,” wrote the president of the House of Representatives, Martín Menem, at X (former Twitter), arguing that “never a strike has brought benefits to society as a whole.”
Security Minister Patricia Bullrich stated that “the streets now belong to those who work”, in reference to the popular demonstrations that occurred before the Milei government. “The multitudanic marches and strikes have been behind,” he said.
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CGT and associated entities claim freedom for wage negotiations, retirement recomposition, bonus update and the right to protest without repression. The movement also reflects dissatisfaction with the government’s fiscal adjustment policies, which have already resulted in cuts of thousands of public office and a significant deterioration of the purchasing power of the population.
Despite the challenging tone of the government, the strike reflects the growing wear and tear of Milei management, which faces pressure due to high inflation, increased poverty and the failed expectation of economic recovery. For Casa Rosada, however, the trade union movement represents the “old politics”, and the strike would be an attempt to destabilize the liberal reform plan.
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Milei, who maintains an approval of around 40%, bets on direct confrontation with what he considers the “caste” to preserve popular support in the midst of economic difficulties. His aggressive stance against unions has been used as a rhetorical reinforcement to justify unpopular measures, under the promise of an Argentine state “reinvention”.
