MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine gov't halts ATC workers' strike

Flights will operate as usual ahead of the Christmas break, it was explained

The Argentine Labor Secretariat ordered a “mandatory conciliation” in the dispute between air traffic controllers and the state-owned air navigation company, EANA, effectively suspending the strike scheduled for Tuesday and ensuring flights will operate normally ahead of the Christmas break.

The labor union ATEPSA, representing air traffic controllers and safety technicians, was instructed to halt all stoppages for a period of 15 business days. Hence, all domestic and international flights will proceed as planned, with Tuesday's measures of force (between 7 pm and 10 pm) canceled, as well as all the other intermittent strikes through December 29.

ATEPSA argues that its members have suffered a significant loss of purchasing power due to high inflation and rejected the latest salary offer from the government. The union also claims that wage and labor agreements signed over three months ago have been ignored, coupled with “unfair dismissals” and a general lack of dialogue.

A similar conciliation was attempted in August, but the union decided to resume strikes recently because no progress was made during that period. The first day of protests resulted in over 40 flight cancellations. Under the mandatory conciliation, the union is legally required to provide normal services, while the EANA must refrain from taking any retaliatory measures against workers as negotiations resume.

The Human Capital Ministry and EANA released statements emphasizing that the intervention provides “predictability and tranquility” to thousands of passengers traveling for Christmas and New Year. The state-owned company celebrated the move, noting that it allows travelers from Argentina and around the world to move “without inconveniences” during the final days of the year.