For the second time this year, many people in Argentina are protesting against President Milei’s economic reforms with a general strike. A large part of public life comes to a standstill.
With a nationwide general strike, the Argentine trade union federation CGT protested against the harsh austerity policies of the ultra-liberal President Javier Milei.
The strike largely brought local public transport and air traffic to a standstill in the South American country.
Banks, supermarkets, schools, universities, transport, garbage collection and the post office were also on strike. Many shops remained closed because employees could not get to their workplaces.
Government criticizes strike
The government criticized what was already the second general strike in five months. “You should stop annoying and start working,” said Interior Minister Patricia Bullrich. The conservative politician described the work stoppage as a sign of weakness.
On TN television, a taxi driver who did not take part in the strike said: “If I don’t work, I have nothing to eat. I have to work to feed my family.” In Buenos Aires, stones were thrown at two buses that were operating despite the strike.
Heaviness Economic crisis
Argentina is in a serious economic crisis. The inflation rate is over 280 percent and the country is heading towards a recession.
South America’s second largest economy suffers from a bloated state apparatus, low industrial productivity and a large shadow economy that deprives the state of a lot of tax revenue.
Milei has imposed tough austerity measures on the country and has recently cut thousands of public sector jobs, cut subsidies and dismantled social programs. The general strike was directed, among other things, against a labor law reform that is currently being discussed in the Senate.