Argentine State Workers Protest Macri Government's Layoffs

Thousands of Argentines are protesting today against a campaign against unionized workers under the right-wing Macri government.

"The State Workers' Association organized a national day of protest yesterday for the 280 dismissed workers in the Labor Ministry and all of its agencies," teleSUR correspondent Laureano Ponce said. "Labor Minister Jorge Triaca offered to re consider some particular cases of fired workers, which was rejected by the union arguing all workers must be reinstated."

Macri has been president since 2015. He has instituted policies that are seen as pro-U.S.

Social media shows that large numbers of protesters came out in support of fired workers and against the "corruption" of the Macri government.

These dismissals are part of the new wave of massive layoffs in the public sector carried out by the Macri administration in 2016. In recent statements, the government acknowledge to have dismissed over 10 thousand workers, but the unions say the number is at least five times larger.

"Taking into consideration the dismissals in the private sector, more than 100,000 Argentine workers have lost their jobs as a consequence of Mauricio Macri's policies," Ponceano explained.