Less than two months after taking office, the Argentine President Javier Milei faces a National strike convened by the country's main trade unions. The National Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT), the Central Workers of Argentina (CTA) and other associations such as the ATE or La Bancaria They have called for a massive mobilization aimed at condemning the ultra-liberal policies announced by the executive branch of the leader of La Libertad Avanza.
Resistance to Milei's first measures
This Wednesday, January 24th, thousands of demonstrators marched through the city center at midday May Avenue, In Buenos Airesto protest in front of Congress for lApplication of the Decree on Necessity and Urgency (DNU) and the impending passage of the next omnibus bill aimed at protecting the executive branch and expanding its powers in carrying out socio-economic reforms of this kind ultra-liberal in the country under the pretext of a national emergency.
The DNU, on the other hand, has been in use since December 29 last year and has already provided some legislative support to the Milei government when it comes to starting to implement its policies.who advocate the privatization of state-owned companies and the progressive dollarization of the economy.
The trade unions believe that these ultra-liberal policies only serve to worsen the country's dramatic economic situation and are trying to express the dissatisfaction of the population with this call. in view of the “policy of adjustment and austerity” of the executive branch of the Argentine Republic. The union leaders intervened at the central event of the mobilization in Buenos Aires, although similar events were also held in other cities in the country, such as: Cordoba or Tucuman.
At all of these events, attended by political figures from the opposition to Milei, messages such as “lut democracyor or “There is no caste here“, based on the popular aphorism coined by Milei to criticize political elites. As the Argentine state news agency Télam pointed out, there are citizens of the Andean country living abroad Today they also marched in cities like Rome, Berlin and Madrid.
Air traffic affected
supermarkets function normally during shutdownalthough the consequences of the mobilizations were noticeable more in the banking sector and airline operations.
The La Bancaria union, which represents branch workers, has managed to get banks to stop operating at 12 p.m., while major airlines in the country have made cancellations or schedule changes.
Aerolíneas Argentinas had to reroute almost 300 flights and more than twenty reschedulingduring JetSmart left 5,000 passengers without transportation, after all flights scheduled for today were canceled.
The government seems calm
The government remains calm about the nationwide strike, although it voices criticism that the call took place just two months after the new leadership was formed; during the 5-year term of office Alberto Fernandezthe previous president, There was no call for a stop to these features.
Manuel AdorniSpokesman of the Presidency, has stated that this interruption “means”A waste of money for many Argentines“, and reiterates that the call will entail millions of losses for the country's productive structure, but adds that the participants “They are still a minority“.
Patricia BullrichMinister of Security, has argued that the majority of Argentines have chosen to go to work on this day of the national holiday and has uploaded several videos to her X-profile Visiting places that did not support the strike.