The president’s order restricting the right to strike in the fields of education, shipping, and other sectors angered the Argentine trade unions on Thursday. In a order released on Wednesday, the liberal Milei included a number of vital service, for which workers are required to provide a significant level of service during strikes. Prior to this record, essential personnel included those in the healthcare industry, including air traffic controllers. The list also included training, fluvial and coastal shipping, port services, customs, and telecommunications, according to Milei. The CGT, the principal labor union, claimed the order “attempts to eliminate the right to attack in Argentina in one fell swoop, without discussion or previous analysis.” Employers in the listed areas are required to ensure 75 % service levels under the new order. Additionally, the order establishes a new type of exercise for businesses in the sectors of building, food supply, and transportation, where strikers are required to maintain a minimum level of service. Failure to do so could result in fines and sanctions for trade unions. The new regulations, according to Matias Cremonte, chairman of the Latin American Association of Labor Lawyers, were “unconstitutional” because they prevented staff from exercising their right to strike. Since Milei, an analyst, came to power in December 2023 as part of a plan of extensive spending cuts, trade organizations have carried out a series of basic cuts in Argentina.
