For days there have been repeated protests in Argentina against the new President Milei’s radical reform course. Now the country’s largest union is calling for a general strike in January.
Argentina’s largest union has called for a general strike to protest against new President Javier Milei’s radical economic reforms. The strike is scheduled to take place on January 24th, as the CGT trade union federation announced. Union leader Héctor Daer also announced a protest demonstration in front of the Argentine parliament during the debate on Milei’s first draft laws.
Milei’s decrees and draft laws for comprehensive economic deregulation were “targeted against the entire society,” Daer said. Milei wants to concentrate all political power “with the president.”
First decree already on the way
When he took office on December 10th, the new president promised the heavily indebted South American country a “shock therapy”. First, the right-wing populist introduced a decree with which he wants to change or abolish 350 existing laws, for example in tenancy and labor law. In order to reduce government spending, 7,000 public sector jobs are to be cut. If Congress approves the plan, the decree will come into force this Friday. However, Milei’s radical right-wing party La Libertad Avanza is in the minority in both chambers of Congress.
In the past few days there had been repeated protests against Milei’s plans. In the capital Buenos Aires yesterday, demonstrators called on the judiciary to invalidate the decree for comprehensive economic deregulation. Numerous people waved the Argentine flag and placards reading “The homeland is not for sale.”
Argentina is in a serious economic crisis. The inflation rate is over 160 percent, and around 40 percent of people in the once rich country live below the poverty line. Milei prevailed in the runoff election in November against his rival, Economy Minister Sergio Massa – with 55.6 percent of the vote.