Argentine unionism promises “fight” against the adjustment of the Milei Government

Argentine unionism promised “continue the fight” against the reforms and adjustment of the ultraliberal Government Javier Milei, within the framework of the first strike general since May 2019 that the South American country is experiencing this Wednesday.

The half-day general strike called by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the country’s main labor union, of Peronist inspiration, and supported by other union forces, political parties, civil associations and human rights organizations, began at 12: 00 local time (15:00 GMT) and will conclude this midnight (03:00 GMT on Thursday).

In a day that took place without altercations or major incidents, the only conflict point was at the southern entrance to Buenos Aires from the province of the same name through the Pueyrredón Bridge, where a column from the Construction Workers’ Union (UOCRA) tried to access foot and was detained by agents of the Prefecture.

The central event of the day was the mobilization towards the Plaza del Congreso, in Buenos Aires, a symbolic march at a time when the Legislature must debate the ‘omnibus law‘, Milei’s star project, which seeks to deregulate the economy and reduce the presence of the State to a minimum, among other issues.

According to the sources consulted, the attendance figures for the mobilization range between 40,000 and 600,000 people.

The Argentine Executive indicated that 40,000 people attended, according to a message published on social networks by the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich. And, while the Police of the City of Buenos Aires estimates that there were 130,000 attendees, the union center estimates that there were 600,000 people who attended the event, both in the Plaza del Congreso and in surrounding streets, and increased the monitoring to 1.5 million. throughout the country, as explained to EFE.

Both the arrival at the epicenter of the concentration and the departure of the different participating groups were done in an orderly manner and without disturbances, amid a strong police deployment.

There, two of the main union leaders, the general secretary of the CGT, Héctor Dáer, and the representative of the Truck Drivers’ union, Pablo Moyano, gave speeches in which they promised that they will continue their demands against the Government that took office on December 10. December: “We are not going to take a step back”said the first.

“We are going to continue the fight until the DNU (decree of necessity and urgency) falls and they reject the omnibus law,” said Daer, alluding to Milei’s bill to deregulate the economy, reduce state interference and achieve fiscal balance, because, he said, “Social justice is not delivered.”

General strike?

Despite it being January, the southern summer vacation month, the appearance of the streets of Buenos Aires was far from being a place of total unemployment.

With many shops open, activity in restaurants and the circulation of public transport – which will stop between 7:00 p.m. (22:00 GMT) and midnight – this Wednesday looked like any quiet summer day.

The world of culture, one of the most active in recent weeks against Milei’s policies, did stop: bookstores and theaters had their doors closed.

Air transport was also greatly affected, due to the cancellation of 295 Aerolíneas Argentinas flights and the rescheduling of another 26, which, according to official sources, will mean losses of US$ 2.5 million.

For and against

The Peronist and left-wing political opposition accompanied not only the call for a general strike, but also the mobilizations that took place both in the capital and in other cities in the country.

Among them, the governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, one of the main visible faces of Peronism, especially after the end of the Government of Alberto Fernández (2019-2023) and the electoral defeat of the already former Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa and Fernández’s former chief of staff, Agustín Rossi.

Also the former left-wing presidential candidate, Myriam Bregman, who called on the opposition to “have a fighting plan.”

On the part of the Executive, the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, described “great nonsense, a complication and a waste of money against many Argentines” the strike.

“It goes against what the majority wants: to live in peace in a country where things are beginning to be done well, understanding that it is an extremely complicated time”he assured in his daily press conference at the Casa Rosada (headquarters of the Government).

Milei worked at the Quinta de Olivos (official residence), where he planned to receive Bullrich to analyze the details of the deployed operation.

The former presidential candidate of the Together for Change coalition (center-right) treated, in her X account, the leaders who lead the protest of “mafioso unionists, poverty managers, complicit judges and corrupt politicians”which are “defending their privileges” and I add: “There is no strike that will stop us, there is no threat that will intimidate us.”

This Wednesday was the first general strike that Argentina has experienced since May 29, 2019, during the Government of Mauricio Macri (2015-2019), who had five against his mandate, and after Fernández closed his administration on May 10. December without any.