Unions stand up to austerity in Argentina

Trade unions have called a general strike on 29 May 2019 to oppose austerity measures in Argentina. The Macri government has brought the country to the brink of economic collapse, with workers’ purchasing power decreasing due to high inflation, unemployment, recession and a sharp increase in poverty.

Argentina’s trade unions have joined forces in their opposition to the Macri government. The ITUC’s three affiliates in the country, the CGT, CTA-T and CTA-A, have called a general strike on 29 May. The trade union movement is calling for an end to the austerity policies imposed as part of the government’s loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to official figures, 14 million Argentinians are living in poverty, the highest level seen since the economic crisis in 2001. The budget cuts required by the IMF have exacerbated the already dismal economic situation, hitting workers and their families the hardest, and poverty is estimated to have increased by over six per cent since the start of the IMF programme.

“Macri was elected, in 2015, on the promise of lowering inflation and bringing an end to poverty and corruption, but since reaching power he has done precisely the opposite, having chosen to govern for a powerful minority,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

“We, the international trade union movement, fully support the demands of our trade union colleagues in Argentina, calling on the government to take action to support the real economy rather than limiting itself to following the mandates of the IMF and the financial markets,” commented Burrow.

Find out more: