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Javier Milei
Photo: Juan Ignacio Roncoroni / EPA
The unions in Argentina are mobilizing against the radical austerity policies and the privatization plans of the new President Javier Milei.
A strike on Wednesday coordinated by the trade union confederation CGT was scheduled to last twelve hours.
In addition to the transport sector, banks and hospitals were also affected.
A large demonstration was also called for in Buenos Aires.
The right-wing populist and libertarian economist Milei is planning a radical restructuring of the country, which is suffering from hyperinflation of well over 200 percent and high national debt.
After taking office in December, he introduced a package of measures for deregulation, which Milei wants to implement by decree.
However, the labor market reforms contained therein were temporarily halted by a court order at the instigation of the unions.
Another reform initiative, known as the “omnibus” law because of its enormous scope, cleared its first hurdle in the parliamentary process on Wednesday.
A committee in the House of Representatives gave the green light.
“No strike will stop us”
The opposition MP Hugo Yasky accused Milei of wanting to use shock therapy to plunge the country, which was already struggling with massive economic problems, deeper into poverty: "Now there is no job creation, but widespread misery, people's desperation, there are no measures, to mitigate the damage they cause.”
The government was unimpressed and emphasized that the austerity measures were necessary.
Argentina has lived beyond its means for years, which is why it is now in deep trouble with its creditors - for example the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with an agreement worth 44 billion dollars.
"There is no strike that stops us, there is no threat that intimidates us," wrote Milei's Minister of Internal Security, Patricia Bullrich, on the X platform.
mamk/Reuters