Argentina will experience a new day of national strike this Thursday, in which workers throughout the country are called to show their rejection of the labor reform and the omnibus law or ‘Bases Law’ promoted by the Government of Javier Milei, which includes, among other measures, the privatization of several public companies. This will be the second strike that Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has faced since he took office last December. The first day of this type took place on January 24, when he had barely completed a month at the head of the country. This forceful measure was called on April 11 by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the main union in Argentina, and since then a large majority of union organizations in the country from different sectors of activity have joined. In recent days, the general secretary of the CGT, Pablo Moyano, has maintained that “strong” support for this strike is expected, not only from the unions that have adhered to the call, but also from ” many people tired of the president’s permanent provocations. “On Thursday there will be a total stoppage of activities, and the different sectors will be accompanying us,” Moyano explained last Tuesday, after learning that there will be a stoppage in the underground, land, rail and air transportation service. The unions in the transport sector, as well as public employees, have been the ones that have mobilized the most in recent weeks against the economic adjustment measures of the Government of Argentina. In addition, union organizations such as the State Workers Association (ATE), the largest union of public sector workers in Argentina, had been demanding this measure of force for some time. CLOSURE OF BANKS AND SUPERMARKETS It is expected that banks and supermarkets will be closed throughout the day today, as announced by the Banking Association, the union in which the workers of the banking entities that operate in Argentina are organized, and the Argentine Federation of Commerce and Services Employees (FAECyS), which brings together workers in commercial activities and services. “This Thursday, the banks stopped,” said the Banking Association, which has been against the “unprecedented savage adjustment” that the country faces. The workers of the different public transport services will also stop this Thursday, after learning in the last hours of the accession of the Unión Tranviarios Automotor (UTA), the union that brings together workers in the collective transport branch in Argentina. The public transport strike will last throughout the day, from midnight on May 9 until midnight. The UTA has made this decision “as a consequence of the measures of the National Government taken directly against the working people.” This service will not be the only one that will not be operational this Thursday, but other workers in the sector such as those on the Buenos Aires metro also plan to stop, so this service will not be offered during the 24 hours that the lockdown measure will be extended. force. Airline activity will also be subject to strike, with the cancellation of flights by Aerolíneas Argentinas and with changes in other companies. “The two times the company was privatized, it failed,” said the Aeronautical Technical Personnel Association (APTA), which has also adhered to the force measure. GOVERNMENT NOTICE The Milei Government has flatly rejected this strike since it learned of its call, attempting to negotiate with the unions the possibility of this measure of force taking place. In the opinion of the Executive, this day “has no apparent justification” and is led by “the fundamentalists of backwardness”, in reference to the CGT. When the first strike was held last January, the Government was already surprised by the speed of the unions to demonstrate against its measures, when there were no calls of this type during the four years that Alberto Fernández’s previous mandate lasted. To avoid further monitoring, the Government spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, has warned those public workers who go on strike that the day will be deducted, except for those who are unable to go to their workplace. According to Government calculations, almost 6.6 million people throughout Argentina will not have access to the transportation service. “Even if the Government wants to intimidate State workers, violating freedom of association, it will not succeed. Adherence to the measure of force will be total. Tomorrow (today) in Casa Rosada you will not even have anyone to serve you. coffee, Adorni,” said the general secretary of the ATE, Rodolfo Aguiar, yesterday on his ‘X’ account (formerly Twitter).
