Argentina: public workers camp in front of Congress against the ‘omnibus law’

Public employees of Argentina They camped this Tuesday in front of Congress in Buenos Aires to protest against cuts, layoffs and future privatizations of public companies, within the adjustment policies of the Executive of Javier Milei.

The Union State Workers Association (ATE) set up tents in front of the legislative palace to “prevent citizens from losing their public needs“, on the occasion of the debate on the Law Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentinesbetter known as the ‘omnibus law’, which was approved this Tuesday by Deputies and now it must be ratified by the Senate.

Different representatives of state organizations warned during the day which sectors such as public health, information or national industry were “They will sell together with the country”.

“This action is to make society aware of the scrapping that the Government is doing. Each closed area is a right that is violated to citizens“said the Secretary General of Judicial Federation ArgentinaMatías Fachal.

The ‘omnibus lawtrimmed to 232 from 664 original articles, includes stating the public emergency in administrative, economic, financial and energy matters for one year, something that would facilitate closures and layoffs in different areas.

“The ‘Bases law’ puts the nation on its knees and the State at the service of plunder. They propose a regressive labor reform in terms of rights. With this law they want the State at the service of four national business groups and all multinationals”, added the ATE union leader, Rodolfo Aguiar.

Without a doubt, one of the aspects that worries them most is the labor reform, included in the bill.

Current cuts

In the case of healthcare, which still has budgets from last year, they must deal with a shortage of medicines – oncology in particular -, collapse in hospitals and precariousness of staff.

“We are in a historic dengue epidemic, and the inept (Mario) Russo – Minister of Health – tells us to wear long pants and buy repellent on Amazon. That is all the health policy that he taught.“, expressed the president of the Trade Union Federation of Health Professionals of the Argentine Republic (Fesprosa), María Fernanda Boriotti.

The latest reports counted 280 deaths from dengue in the country and positive cases amounted to 396,484, of which 871 were classified as serious.

In terms of control and technological transfer to private companies, the National Institute of Industrial Technology (Inti), which accompanies the growth of small and medium-sized companies, reached the 24 provinces of Argentinabut in the face of cuts and the law they fear losing their reach, especially in remote places.

For example, Arsat – the State’s satellite telecommunications service provider – has lost “50% of contracts”. At the beginning of the month, the province of Misiones (northeast) was the first to contract Starlink, the billionaire’s private satellite company Elon Muskadmirer of Milei.

Public media, such as the Télam news agency, National Radio and Public Television, face closures and layoffs, with their workers denouncing that the State wants to transform them into private ones with their own interests, when their function is “combat centralism Buenos Aires and be there and inform the whole country”.

national strike

For his part, the national secretary general of the Central Workers of Argentina (CTA), Hugo Godoy, called “to rebel” against the Government.

“Those who were elected to represent the people, resign and relegate absolute powers to the president, allowing him to be a despot today. We have the right to rebel when measures are taken to exercise the sum of public power. That is an infamous betrayal of the country.“, said Godoy.

In dialogue with EFE, Fachal clarified that everything points towards “general strike throughout the State. If the Government continues in this way, it will be throughout the country and it will be felt. They are not talking to anyone.”.

María Mercedes Cabezas, deputy secretary of ATE, stressed to EFE that the camp was necessary to deny the “smear campaign” of state work.

“Many of the laws that today try to overturn in the Congress They were promoted and built from the popular field. We trust that the mobilizations will be enough to put a stop to the adjustment against the most vulnerable sectors of Argentina”.