BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's largest trade unions staged a major challenge to President Javier Milei's libertarian government with a massive general strike on Thursday. The strike resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the suspension of major bus, rail, and subway services. Main avenues, streets, and transportation terminals were left eerily deserted. Most teachers were unable to reach schools, leading parents to keep their children at home. Trash collection and non-emergency health services were also disrupted.
The 24-hour strike was organized in opposition to Milei's austerity measures and deregulation efforts, which have faced significant resistance. This strike marked the second nationwide union strike since Milei took office last December. His administration has implemented austerity measures that include spending cuts, layoffs, and freezing public works projects in an attempt to address Argentina's severe financial crisis, the worst in two decades. Milei's policies have also led to a significant devaluation of the local currency, stabilizing the peso but causing a sharp rise in prices. Argentina's annual inflation rate now approaches 300%, the highest in the world, surpassing even crisis-ridden Lebanon.
The government estimated that disruptions in transport services would prevent around 6.6 million people from commuting to work. During the Thursday morning rush hour, few cars were seen on the typically congested streets. Garbage began to accumulate on empty sidewalks.
Milei responded to the strike by posting a photo on Instagram holding a soccer jersey with the words "I DON'T STOP."
The country's largest union, CGT, joined forces with other labor syndicates to stage the strike "in defense of democracy, labor rights, and a living wage." Argentina's powerful unions, supported by the left-leaning Peronist parties that have long dominated national politics, have been at the forefront of the opposition to Milei's policies, both on the streets and in the courts.
The government sought to downplay the impact of the strike, characterizing it as a cynical move by its left-wing political opponents. Presidential spokesperson Manual Adorni accused the union leaders of "extorting Argentines to try to return to power."
Union leaders argued that they had to escalate their actions after the lower house of Argentina's Congress approved Milei's state overhaul bill and tax packages. Although lawmakers removed some of the bill's most controversial elements, unions remain strongly opposed to provisions that loosen labor market regulations and grant Milei authority to restructure and privatize public agencies. The bill is currently under debate in the Senate, where the opposition holds the majority.
Rubén Sobrero, general secretary of the Railway Union, warned that if negotiations did not yield results, the unions were prepared to extend the strike. "If there is no response within these 24 hours, we'll do another 36," he said.
The strike comes after days of intense protests by leftist parties in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital. The protests contrasted sharply with the silence that engulfed the city on Thursday.
Argentina's main international airport advised travelers to check in with their airlines, as flight boards displayed numerous cancellation notices. Aerolíneas Argentinas, the country's flagship carrier, announced the cancellation of nearly 200 domestic and regional flights and the rescheduling of over a dozen international flights, affecting 24,000 passengers and costing the airline $2 million. Only one bus company maintained regular service on Thursday. Shortly after the strike began, police reported that protesters attacked two of the company's buses in Buenos Aires, breaking windows but causing no injuries.
Conservative Security Minister Patricia Bullrich vowed to protect the government's achievements, posting on social media a photo of the vandalized buses with the caption: "We won't let them (the unions) destroy everything we have achieved."
Experts believe that both sides are motivated by political considerations. Sebastián Mazzuca, a political science expert at Johns Hopkins University, argued that Milei is using the strike to attack his opponents in response to worsening economic conditions. The unions, on the other hand, are flexing their muscles in response to their candidate's defeat in the last presidential election.
"This conflict is presented to the public as a social conflict, but it is really a political conflict," Mazzuca said. "The outgoing government does not want to disappear, and the new government wants to remain in power."