Teachers Union Starts Strike in Buenos Aires

Demanding better working conditions, the Association of Middle and Higher Education (ADEMYS) started a 24-hour strike on Monday, when Buenos Aires begins face-to-face classes.

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Last week, ADEMYS spokeswoman Marisabel Grau mentioned that the Buenos Aires City government headed by Horacio Rodriguez "offered absolutely no percentage of salary increase" to teachers.

“We cannot start classes without salary improvements and amid fiscal adjustments and large rate increases in basic services,” ADEMYS said, referring to the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a factor worsening the country's macroeconomy.

Grau also mentioned that the 24-hour strike is carried out to reject irregularities that professionals come across when they want to apply for teacher positions through online platforms.

The teachers also highlight that Buenos Aires still has infrastructure problems to comply with the COVID-19 protocols. This circumstance is aggravated by the fact that hundreds of students and teachers have not yet been vaccinated.

Another 16 teachers' unions did not call for a stoppage of activities pending negotiations with the Buenos Aires authorities that will begin on March 1st. However, they warned they could join the protest if they do not obtain favorable responses to their requests.

Despite the efforts made by President Alberto Fernandez, Argentina continues to experience the ravages of the economic crisis generated by the Mauricio Macri administration (2015-2019). This South American country, for instance, had 50 percent inflation in 2021.