Argentina’s State Workers’ Association (ATE) will hold a nationwide strike and march to the Secretariat of Labor on Wednesday, November 19, in rejection of the government’s proposed labor reform, its recent agreement with the United States, and the lack of progress in wage negotiations.

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ATE said the strike responds to what it considers a direct link between the labor reform initiative and the bilateral agreement announced days earlier. The union argues both measures would worsen working conditions and deepen the erosion of public-sector wages. ATE General Secretary Rodolfo Aguiar stated: “La reforma laboral y el reciente acuerdo con los Estados Unidos están íntimamente vinculados. Trabajar más y por menos plata para abaratar los costos del saqueo. Sin huelga y movilización no la frenamos.”

Aguiar said the government is advancing the reform without transparency or public discussion. “Los trabajadores no tenemos que esperar a conocer ninguna letra chica para saber que nos quieren joder. Tenemos que empezar a enfrentar ya en la calle a esta reforma,” he noted.

He also described the current wage situation as critical after nearly two years of the current administration. “Después de 23 meses de (Javier) Milei, la administración pública entró en emergencia salarial,” he said, adding that unions cannot wait for the next congressional session: “No podemos esperar hasta el recambio parlamentario. Tenemos que empezar a enfrentar ya en la calle a esta reforma.”

Aguiar further questioned the government’s approach to unions. “Las amenazas, las mentiras organizadas y el desprestigio de las organizaciones sindicales son el vehículo que el gobierno ha elegido para debatir esta legislación. Después que no nos digan que no queremos dialogar,” he argued.

ATE said the protest will converge on the Secretariat of Labor due to concerns about changes in the agency’s internal structure. According to Aguiar, “Vamos a movilizar al ex ministerio de Trabajo porque a los efectos de facilitar la posterior quita de derechos, ya pretenden empezar a adaptar la máxima autoridad laboral del país con esa finalidad. Intentan desmantelar áreas completas, casualmente las de fiscalización o las agencias territoriales, para impartir nuevas reglas y que las patronales no tengan ningún tipo de control.”

The action will coincide with a 24-hour strike by the Federation of University Workers (FATUN), which said it will not attend workplaces and will support recent measures adopted by Conadu and Conadu Histórica. University unions demand urgent wage adjustments and warn of deteriorating public funding.

The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) also reiterated its concern about the lack of formal dialogue. One of its secretaries, Jorge Sola, said the government has not provided details of the proposal and has “invertir el orden de prioridades,” arguing that tax reform should be discussed before any changes to labor legislation. He added that the CGT has “aún no recibido precisiones sobre la letra chica ni se le está permitiendo aportar miradas y soluciones.”

The coordinated actions by ATE, FATUN, and university unions underscore rising tensions as major labor organizations call for transparency, wage recovery, and a meaningful role in discussions over the government’s reform agenda.

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