This Wednesday, Argentina will experience its first general strike since 2019, less than two months after the arrival to power of the ultra-liberal Javier Milei, called by the country’s main union center, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), and supported by political parties. and social and human rights organizations, among others.
For half a day, between 12:00 p.m. and midnight, the Argentine union muscle will try to display its strength against the reforms of the current Executive that seeks to deregulate the economy as much as possible and dismantle the structure of the State.
The protest is focused on the decree of necessity and urgency (DNU), put into effect on December 29 and still under judicial protection in several points, and the bill Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines, still in progress. legislative process.
The latter, known as the ‘omnibus law’, seeks to provide legislative power to the Milei Government by virtue of a public emergency due to the current socioeconomic situation of the country, with 211.4% year-on-year inflation and more than 40% of the population mired in poverty, which could be extended until December 31, 2025, according to the revision of the original text, which proposed an extension of said ’emergency’ until 2027.
The unions hope that the call will be “the most massive” in history and that it will reflect the popular rejection of the “adjustment and cutback” plans of the Milei Government. The main union organizations are going to support the strike, including the CGT, the CTA, the ATE and La Bancaria.
“On January 24, the people will take to the streets in a historic mobilization to protest against the inflationary rampage and reject the DNU and the Omnibus Law,” said the general secretary of the Argentine Workers’ Union (CTA), Hugo Yasky.
The Government of Peronist Alberto Fernández (2019-2023) did not experience any general strike by the CGT, a fact that, in the opinion of the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, is surprising “due to the silence they have had for so many years.”
“We do not understand what puts them to sleep and what wakes them up,” said the spokesperson this Tuesday, in a press conference at the Casa Rosada (seat of Government), referring to the union leaders of the CGT, an inspirational union center. Peronist Furthermore, Adorni asked that this Wednesday “freedom triumph,” so that “whoever wants to go to work, do so; and whoever wants to stop, do so, without curtailing any rights.”
Milei declared last Monday that the strike will show that there are two Argentinas, and those who support it will be those who want to stay in the model of the past and decadence, standing against the Government’s path to be “a country of development.” “.
The last general strike experienced in Argentina dates back to May 29, 2019 and was the fifth against the Executive of the center-right Mauricio Macri (2015-2019).
The half-day strike this Wednesday includes a march that is expected to be massive to the National Congress, in Buenos Aires, where the process of the ‘omnibus law’ is still continuing in the plenary session of committees before the final passage to the Chamber of Deputies.
To avoid possible confrontations under the anti-picketing protocol implemented by the Ministry of Security, union leaders agreed with the Security authorities of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires on the streets through which the mobilization will take place and established circulation routes for emergency vehicles.
Public transport will operate throughout the day until 7:00 p.m. to allow the movement of those who want to get around; The banks will open until 12:00 p.m., which is when the strike officially begins; and in commerce there is division, since while the Argentine Federation of Commerce and Services Employees joined, the supermarkets plan to open.
The Government, which will deduct the daily wage of public employees who go on strike, opened a telephone number, 134, to receive complaints from those who receive threats or pressure to participate in the strike. “If you are an Argentine who fights every day to get ahead and they extort or pressure you so that you go on strike on January 24, defend your rights by making a complaint to 134. Don’t be afraid!”, detailed the Ministry of Security . According to the Executive, the line received more than 3,000 calls with data that will allow the complaint to be processed before Justice.
After the two mobilizations that took place last December against the adjustments announced by the Milei Executive, this will be the Government’s first general strike, which began on December 10.
