Labour leaders snarled traffic across the nation on Thursday as union-aligned workers staged the third strike of President Javier MIilei’s Presidency, in protest at his fierce austerity campaign, economic unrest and job losses.
Though Milei administration officials brushed off the strike, declaring “today, we work,” there was high compliance among public -sector workers, though many shops remained open and parts of the public transport system were still operating.
Train and underground Subte stations were deserted in the early hours, and over 250 flights were cancelled during the third strike organised by the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT), Argentina’s largest umbrella union grouping, since Milei took office in December 2023.
The 36-hour “union action” began on Wednesday with a protest outside Congress, coinciding with a weekly march made by pensioners – the group most affected by Milei’s cuts – and social organisations. The mobilisation was followed with Thursday’s 24-hour strike, which was lifted at midnight.
“Compliance among public-sector workers is massive; all offices are closed,” said Rodolfo Aguiar, secretary general of the ATE state workers association, in an interview with the La Red radio station.
“This is the most widely supported industrial action in rejection of the national government’s policies,” he claimed, though images of workers making their way to their workplaces on bus lines testified otherwise.
Even the National Congress building in Buenos Aires was affected, with one union leader saying that “there are sectors that are closed” and “very few people in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.”
Due to staffing issues, the lower house's official channel was unable to broadcast live, said Norberto Di Próspero, head of the Asociación del Personal Legislativo labour group.
Andrés Rodríguez, deputy secretary of the CGT, described the strike as “significant” and reported “very high absenteeism” across most of the affiliated unions.
“People are going through a hard time,” Rodríguez told Radio Rivadavia. “There’s growing discontent because many can’t make ends meet. Consumption has dropped in 2025, and wages across all sectors have deteriorated.”
State-owned airline Aerolíneas Argentinas, the country’s leading aviation company, announced that 20,000 passengers had been affected by the cancellation of 258 flights, 17 of which were international. The company estimated a financial loss of US$3 million.
The Milei government remains on alert following Tuesday’s announcement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that a technical stand-by agreement with Argentina for US$20 billion is ready to be reviewed by the multilateral body’s board of directors “in the coming days.”
The meeting is set to take place on Friday.
Unlike the strikes held in January and May last year, compliance on the streets of Buenos Aires appeared mixed, largely due to the main bus drivers' union choosing not to join the strike, thereby enabling many people to get to work. Its leaders have been legally obliged to continue wage negotiations with the government.
While the strike’s compliance varied, some sectors reported high absenteeism, while others operated at a reduced capacity, reflecting a mixed national response.
Gustavo Cortez, 48, had to travel two hours by bus to reach his workplace. “This strike is a pain,” he told the AFP news agency. “But this president really should go. Honestly, he's an embarrassment.”
Others were less forgiving of the unions. “I don't agree with the strike – we all need to work, those who don't, don't eat,” said one street-seller in Flores who asked not to be named.
Many businesses opened as usual, although classes were suspended at state schools.
“Today, we’re working. A strike has never brought any benefit to society as a whole,” said ruling party Lower House Speaker Martín Menem on the X social network, as he criticised the action.
For the most part, President Milei remained unfazed by the widespread strike. He convened Cabinet meeting for Thursday morning, with his team briefing that that the government was continuing its push for economic reforms regardless of the unions’ opposition.
The strike reflects a deterioration in the social climate after tens of thousands of job losses and 15 consecutive months of declining consumption during Milei’s Presidency.
Rodríguez also criticised punitive actions by some employers, calling it “regrettable” that striking workers might have their pay docked. “There is a legal right that protects them,” he said.
He argued that the strike was “necessary to force a change in policy” and said that, despite occasional invitations to dialogue, the government “has not responded to any of the CGT’s concerns.”
“We’re not sitting idle,” he added. “In previous administrations we had more chances to negotiate. Now we have none. If the government genuinely wants to move toward something constructive, it should be seeking dialogue. That would be the logical thing to do.”
Through stringent cuts in public spending, the President managed to bring inflation down from 211 percent in 2023 to 118 percent last year, which helped to reduce poverty to 38 percent – the same level as in 2023 – after it had spiked to 52.9 percent in the first half of his term.
Unions say the positive macroeconomic figures belie the average Argentine's loss of purchasing power.
Milei will face the first true electoral test of his administration this Sunday in provincial elections in Santa Fe that are seen as gauge of support for the president's policies.
Santa Fe is the third-biggest electoral district in Argentina with about eight percent of the national electoral roll.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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