MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina's main labor union announces nationwide strike for April 10

The CGT will also march before Congress the day before alongside retirees seeking pension updates to cope with inflation

Argentina's General Labor Confederation (CGT) announced on Thursday a nationwide strike against the Libertarian Government of President Javier Milei, which will be staged on April 10, following a demonstration the previous day. It will be the third such measure against the current administration after stoppages on Jan. 24 and May 9, 2024.

A workers' march to Congress is planned for April 9, alongside retirees demanding better income and social coverage. Additional actions include joining the Day of Memory march on March 24 and a major Workers' Day event on May 1.

The CGT demands the reopening of collective wage bargaining (known as “paritarias”) as salaries lag behind inflation, in addition to a bonus for retirees, the resumption of public works and the jobs they entail, and an end to police repression of social protests.

CGT Secretary-General Héctor Daer emphasized the strike was non-negotiable, reflecting growing worker discontent over falling wages and economic conditions. Internal CGT tensions rose, with dialogue-oriented leaders like Daer and Andrés Rodríguez (UPCN) aligning with more radical factions pushing for the strike.

“The fall in wages as from the end of last year caused the paritarias to fall below inflation,” Daer said. “We demand the reopening of public works” and added: “This strike will not be lifted,” he added.

The Lorry Drivers Union, transport unions (namely La Fraternidad, Unión Ferroviaria), and UTEP support the strike. The UTA’s participation is pending confirmation, while subway services in Buenos Aires are expected to be in short avail should workers from that sector not join the measure, which is yet to be decided.

In response, Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos plans to negotiate with CGT leaders like Daer and Gerardo Martínez (UOCRA) to avert the strike, though success is deemed unlikely. The strike is regarded as a “political movement” driven by recent protests and repression incidents, including the March 12 march where photojournalist Pablo Grillo was injured.

Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni criticized it as an attempt to harm the government rather than address legitimate worker issues. “These strikes are to defend their own interests [of the union leaders],” Adorni argued. “There is nothing here that deserves a strike,” he also noted. “They want to do it to damage the Government.”