Workers in Argentina stage massive strike over radical economic reforms

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Thousands of workers in Argentina staged a general strike Wednesday in the capital Buenos Aires and other regions of the country to protest the tough economic reforms introduced by President Javier Milei.

The strike, called by the General Labor Center (CGT), the country’s biggest labor union, mobilized thousands in the country, targeting Congress.

Under the slogan "The homeland is not for sale," the CGT announced that the mobilization would begin at noon local time. Various services such as public transportation also joined in the work stoppage.

Although called by the CGT, the protest was supported by trade unions from key industries in Argentina including tourism, transportation and construction.

The general strike was the first show of force by unions and workers' organizations in five years.

The strike signaled a rejection of the reforms Milei presented shortly after being sworn in at the end of last year, including cutting public spending by 3% of GDP, devaluing the peso and eliminating price controls.

Promising a radical effort to lift Argentina out of soaring inflation and a latent economic crisis, Milei announced the signing of a decree that would empower him to overrule Congress and repeal a handful of laws to de-regulate the Argentine economy, with the target of privatizing critical industrial sectors.

In addition to the decree, he announced a package of reforms known as the Omnibus Law, which contains more than 600 articles seeking to modify over 20 laws to further the privatization of publicly owned companies and abolish central banking while imposing stringent controls on protests and strikes.

Those who "direct, organize or coordinate a meeting or demonstration that impedes, hinders or obstructs the circulation of public or private transportation" could be sentenced to five years in prison.

The Omnibus Law will be debated next week in the lower house of the Argentine Congress. ​​​​​​​