Martina Jaureguy 
Workers from different sectors all over the country will carry out a national strike on Wednesday, January 24. The General Confederation of Labor (CGT, by its Spanish initials) is the main driver behind the strike, which comes just 45 days after President Javier Milei’s inauguration.
This is not just another strike. The CGT, the most powerful union collective in Argentina, hasn’t organized a national strike since 2019, when Mauricio Macri was president. The reason they are calling for this measure so early into Milei’s government is to protest against his proposals of state reform and economic deregulation, which include sweeping labor changes and the privatization of state-owned companies.
The labor reform is part of a massive decree Milei issued 10 days after he took office. A temporary stay established by a labor court in response to a filing made by the CGT has momentarily placed this item on hold. Among its effects, the reforms seek to eliminate 8-hour maximum shifts and severance pay, while also undermining the right to strike or have union meetings in the workplace. The rest of the decree is still in place.
Along with the decree, Milei filed a bill made up of hundreds of articles (the final version has 523) that complements those reforms and is currently being debated in Congress.
The strike
The national strike will take place on January 24 between noon and midnight. Workers from most sectors are expected to join, including gas station, hospital, hotel, and public administration employees.
In Buenos Aires City there will also be a march to Congress along Avenida de Mayo, starting at 9 de Julio avenue at around 12 p.m. There will be roadblocks on Avenida de Mayo, 9 de Julio, Hipólito Yrigoyen, and Rivadavia avenues. Other streets in the area will likely be affected too.
Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. there will be a rally in which the CGT leaders will speak on a stage set up on Entre Ríos Avenue in front of Congress. The CGT has said they will leave enough space to allow traffic along the avenue. The organization and the city’s security ministry had a meeting to guarantee the march is carried out safely and peacefully.
National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said her anti-protest protocol will be in place. It’s unclear how that will be carried out, given that the protocol bans roadblocks.
Services
Public administration offices will be open until 12 p.m. The same goes for banks, which are usually open until 3 p.m.
Buses, trains, and the subway will not be available from 7 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday. The union that groups bus drivers said this decision was made in order to guarantee people can get to the march during the afternoon.
Flights between 12 p.m. and midnight may be delayed or canceled, given that the Argentine Confederation of Transport Workers — which also groups taxi drivers — said they will be joining the strike. Communicating any changes in flights will depend on each airline.
Airline JetSMART is offering passengers scheduled to fly on January 24 to change dates free of charge. These affected passengers will only be able to rebook flights to be used between January 20 and February 8. LATAM Argentina will be rescheduling flights free of charge “until 15 days after the original date.” They also offer to return customers their money with no extra fees.
Aerolíneas Argentinas and JetSMART told the Herald they still don’t have a confirmed schedule for flights tomorrow. Flybondi, the other airline that operates within Argentina, did not comment at the time of writing.
“The airports will be operational, but there will probably be very few flights,” a source from the sector told the Herald. While the airlines haven’t informed whether their workers will be joining the strikes, unions grouping people who work at the control tower, loading planes with fuel, operating access ramps, or carrying luggage have already said they won’t be working after noon, making it virtually impossible for flights to be able to take off.
“Some airlines are rescheduling flights for [Tuesday] before midnight or the first hours of Thursday,” the source added.
