General strike was tremendous, with 90% observance, CGT says

A 24-hour general strike in Argentina to protest against President Javier Milei’s labor reform bill was having a 90% compliance rate, the country’s main union leader said on Thursday. Meanwhile, clashes between demonstrators and the police were reported outside Congress, where the initiative was being debated. “This strike has been widely observed, with more than 90% of activity halted,” said Jorge Sola, one of the three secretaries general of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the country’s main trade union organization, in a press conference, to thunderous applause. In Buenos Aires, subways and most buses did not work. “All ports are at a standstill, as are transportation and industry,” said Octavio Argüello, another CGT secretary general. “Our colleagues had the tremendous strength and willpower to bring the entire industry to a halt,” he added. Sola went on to lambast the national administration’s economic policies, saying that, as a result, more than 21,000 small and medium enterprises shut down. He added that, every day since Milei took office, 400 jobs have been lost. The union leader criticized the so-called Labor Modernization Bill. “I find it hard to call something that sets us back 100 years in terms of individual and collective rights ‘modernization’,” he added. The ruling party’s initiative increases the maximum daily work shift from eight to 12 hours (with a 12-hour rest) and enables employers to pay salaries “in kind.” A great point of contention is an article that limits sick leave pay. Currently, Argentines get paid their salaries in full when they take sick leave. The version of the bill that was approved by the Senate stated that, if workers got injured or sick due to “voluntary activities” unrelated to their jobs, their salaries would be cut by 25% for non-risky activities; in the case of risky ones, the cut would climb to 50%. La Libertad Avanza has agreed to remove that article from the bill after talks with the opposition to guarantee more support. However, there are other sections of the bill that could also be modified during the session. One is the article creating a national fund, called FAL, that would be used for granting severance pay for fired workers. Outside Congress, more than 2,000 officers were deployed, with motorcycles, infantry, water cannons, and tear gas. Wounds from tear gas canisters were reported among the protesters. A spokesperson of the City Police confirmed to the Herald that three protestors were detained for “damage” and “resistance to authority.” Five people, two of them minors, had been detained previously over a robbery. ‘The reform will not create jobs’ After the conference, Sola spoke to the Herald. During the interview, he disputed the government’s idea that the reform will create jobs. “It will not create jobs; no change in the rules between employers and workers creates jobs in and of itself,” Sola said. “What it will do is generate savings for employers and reduce the quantity and quality of individual and collective rights,” he added. “We have calculated that around US$6 billion in contributions and payments will be transferred from the workers’ sector to the employers’ sector, plus the FAL.” Asked about a criticism from left-wing parties on the CGT’s decision not to call a march on Thursday, he said that the union organization has made 12 marches and four general strikes since Milei took office. Sola did not confirm whether they would call for strikes or protests next week, when the bill would be discussed again in the Senate if it passes in the lower house. “We will discuss it at [Friday’s] board meeting,” he said.