General strike in Argentina – a rebellion towards Milei's policy. Planes, trains and ports stood

On Thursday, the largest trade unions in Argentina began a 24-hour nationwide strike against the policy of clamping the belt conducted by President Javier Milei. Trains, taxis, public schools, garbage trucks and ports stood, most flights were canceled.

This is the third general strike of the largest Argentine trade union headquarters of CGT against Milei's decisions, which since taking office in December 2023 conducts a broadly tightened campaign “chain saw cutting” of public expenditure to pull the country out of a deep financial crisis.

“After this action, they will have to turn off the chain saw. It ended. There is no place for the next cuts,” said the president of the Trade Union of Public Administration Employees, Rodolfo Aguiaar.

The strike led to significant communication difficulties, paralyzing the operation of trains, taxis and ports, and disrupting air transport. Lessons in public schools were canceled, waste disposal and delivery of mail were suspended, and many offices limited their activities.

As announced, city buses did not stop running, and therefore long queues formed at the Metropolis Buenos Aires. There are also private shops and schools.

On Thursday morning there was tensions between the protesters and the police. The officers accelerated a group of leftist demonstrators who tried to block traffic on the Pueyrredon bridge, one of the main access routes to Buenos Aires.

The government strongly criticized the strike, displaying, among others, on the screens of the railway stations the message accusing the trade unionists “Attack on the Republic”. “The caste of trade unionists is allowed by an assassination of millions of Argentineans who want to work,” it was written in a press release.

Milei won in 2023 the wave of social dissatisfaction with raging inflation, corruption and deepening financial crisis. From taking power, he tries to dismantle the care state built for decades and rebuild the country based on the neoliberal model.

As part of the economic “shock therapy”, Milei dismissed thousands of public administration employees, solved a number of ministries and government agencies and reduced social benefits. Although the country has achieved a budget surplus, it became a cost of deteriorating the financial situation of many families. Pensioners felt particularly severely.

The poverty rate initially increased under Mileia to over 50 percent, but – according to official data – in the second half of 2024 it fell to about 38 percent (PAP)

WIA/ MMS/