Argentina Public Workers on Strike Against Mauricio Macri

Thousands of Argentine state workers launched a national strike on Tuesday to speak out against President Mauricio Macri’s proposed review of state contracts that could result in massive job losses, local media reported.

The Association of State Workers or ATE has said the marches will demand authorities act to ensure employment stability for public workers, including thousands of temporary employees, restart collective bargaining negotiations, and deliver year-end bonuses to workers.

#Argentina ATE para el 29 en todo el país https://t.co/vgrhMfspX3 #paro pic.twitter.com/3SECOdEfPz

— CLATE (@EstatalesCLATE) December 28, 2015

“Argentina ATE strikes the 29 in the whole country.”

The 240,000 member-strong ATE national union has also warned that members will be on alert to launch further mass mobilizations if state workers suffer layoffs in January.

ATE Secretary General Hugo Godoy said that the strike responds to the “absence of official responses” to labor demands and marks a “permanent state of alert” for any unjust government action against public workers in the new year, Prensa Latina reported.

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The national strike comes after Macri’s newly-appointed Minister of Modernization Andres Ibarra announced last week the impending review of some 24,000 public-sector contracts and tenders.

The action, taking place across the country, is the first public workers’ strike since Macri and his new Cabinet of Ministers took office on Dec. 10.

Some analysts fear that the contract review process could be used to justify selective politically-motivated layoffs, Prensa Latina reported.

Other labor unions are also preparing to demand a salary increase in the face of inflation.

Conferencia de Prensa por el Paro Nacional de #ATE #29D @CachorroGodoy @oscardeisasi @ateprensa @ATEBuenosAires pic.twitter.com/IQfE2ykUJt

— Cesar Garzon (@Cesargarzon80) December 29, 2015

“Press conference for the ATE national strike.”

The national strike comes as the latest in a wave of protests against Macri’s proposed changes, including controversial moves to undermine and overturn the country’s Media Law.

Macri’s opponents say his proposals will turn the country back to 1990s neoliberalism, rolling back the social welfare programs of Cristina Fernandez and her husband Nestor Kirchner, which have benefited poor and working class Argentines. Macri has vowed to remedy the economy by boosting investment and trade.

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Within a week of taking office, Macri devalued the currency and announced plans to roll out changes to export and import rules to open up the South American country to foreign companies.

Union leaders have vowed to protest any unjustified public-sector labor cuts.

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