Argentina: trade unions redouble protests against Milei, state authorities stop and occupy ministries

Amid the offensive of Argentine trade unionism against the president’s adjustment plan Javier Mileithe state employees’ union went on strike on Wednesday as dozens of dismissed workers entered ministries and other public bodies where they held assemblies to define the next protest measures.

O State Workers Association (ATE) led the day of mobilization against the ultraliberal president’s policies of sharp cuts in public spending, which generated around 15,000 layoffs at different levels of the State. Trade union organizations belonging to two combative trade unions joined the protest.

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In good airepicenter of the demonstrations, hundreds of workers, many of them laid off in the months following Milei’s inauguration in December, gathered near the Secretary of Labor and then entered its premises to demand the reinstatement of 520 dismissed workers in their jobs. Rodolfo Aguiargeneral secretary of ATE, proposed a national strike “before this week ends”.

State employee Florencia Ugarte watches as police block them from entering the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 3, 2024. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

The union leader appealed “deepen the battle plan until we prevent them from continuing to adjust”.

During the day, protesters also entered the Ministry of Health and the Interior, as well as the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (Inadi). It is also expected that they will enter the headquarters of other departments.

Several official installations were heavily guarded by the police as part of the severe measures applied by the government to prevent the occupation of streets and public spaces during protests.

At the Inadiwhose closure was announced by the government, former employees fought with police in an attempt to enter the building.

Finally, several succeeded, including the lawyer Florencia Ugarte50 years old, who has been serving people who have reported being victims of discrimination for 14 years.

Ugarte told the Associated Press that last Wednesday around 50 colleagues received emails announcing that their employment contracts would not be renewed. He indicated that it is very likely that she will be part of the next round of layoffs.

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The lawyer highlighted that Inadi has received numerous complaints from migrants, people with disabilities and people with different sexual orientation or gender identity and regretted that the organization will disappear. “They have us not doing chores. People no longer come to report. They cut (the phone line) where you can do that. They are emptying the body“, said Ugarte.

ATE reported that “Javier Milei’s ultra-neoliberal and neo-fascist government… is destroying extremely sensitive public policies” is that “The dismantling of the (Ministry of) Labor is the first step in a broader attack on the rights and jobs of workers in the public and private sectors in general.”.

State workers protest against the dismissal of employees at the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 3, 2024. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

According to Aguiar “The government attacks the right to stability in public employment” which is safeguarded by law.

The Executive informed that 15 thousand public sector contracts were canceled until March 31.

Milei maintains that the Argentine State is oversized and that it is necessary to cut personnel within the scope of its objective of maintaining a zero deficit, eliminating many positions that he considers to have been appointed due to political affinities in previous administrations. Unions maintain that the cuts are, for the most part, taking away the jobs of people who perform their jobs adequately.

The presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni He noted that the layoffs are “part of the work we are doing to reduce State expenses”. The person in charge said that people whose contracts were not renewed “Maybe they didn’t have a very defined job and on the other side there is a taxpayer who pays”.

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The government claims that its orthodox policies have achieved financial surpluses in the last two months. “There was a reduction in public expenditure of 5 points of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in Treasury expenditure alone and a fall in State primary expenditure in real terms of 40%“Adorni noted days ago.

He noted that of the more than 70,000 (employment) contracts reviewed in the public sector, 15,000 were terminated – which does not include public companies and the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners – and the rest “will be renewed for six months“, although “progress will continue in the analysis of each”.

The adjustment promoted by Milei generated a national strike General Confederation of Labor —the main union center— at the end of January and other protest measures by unions from different sectors. The main teaching union will go on strike again on Thursday to demand the restitution of a public fund for that sector.

Source: Elcomercio