Argentina’s largest labor union, the CGT, commenced its fourth general strike targeting the government’s proposed labor reform, disrupting transport and services across key provinces. Opposition from multiple unions and continued congressional debate suggest ongoing confrontation between organized labor and the Milei administration, with judicial challenges likely if legislation passes.
The CGT launched a 24-hour nationwide strike early Thursday to protest the government’s labor reform bill currently under discussion in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies. The strike’s centerpiece was a total halt in public transportation, including buses, trains, subways, and flights, producing minimal activity nationwide. Despite the stoppage, congressional sessions continued as the reform bill, having secured preliminary approval by the Chamber, moves toward final Senate consideration. The CGT leadership seeks to signal firm resistance to the law’s core changes, even as some controversial articles, such as licensing regimes, were removed from the draft. The union secretary Jorge Sola emphasized opposition not to reform per se but to the loss of acquired worker rights. Differing from the CGT’s approach of a non-mobilized strike, a coalition of more militant unions—such as the UOM (metalworkers), Aceiteros (oil workers), and Pilots—plus the CTA Autónoma and leftist parties, staged protests at Congress, underscoring the fracture in union strategy.
Regional impact varied, with Rioja suspending public transport, banking services, and other sectors, while fuel stations remained operational. In Rosario, transport cessation was total, with Santa Fe authorities announcing no salary deductions for affected workers. Contrastingly, Mendoza’s transport and government services operated normally, with the provincial government warning of salary cuts for public employees participating in the strike. Tucumán and Salta reported significant stoppages in multiple sectors including education and waste management, sometimes accompanied by confrontations, while local leadership condemned the strike’s efficacy.
The refinery sector union also joined the strike, citing direct threats to employment stability, collective agreements, and worker protections through provisions like the “bank of hours,” limits on sick leave, and dismissal financing mechanisms drawing from public pension funds. The combination of operational shutdowns and expressed intentions to pursue judicial recourse signals prolonging labor-government friction as the reform advances.
