The leaders of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT, by its initials in Spanish) decided on Thursday evening to call for a general strike on May 9 and for a demonstration to Plaza de Mayo on May 1, International Workers’ Day.
Also, the CGT decided to support the demonstration that university trade unions and students are organizing for April 23, demanding an increase of the budgets of all public higher education institutions.
The meeting of the leaders of Argentina’s most important umbrella trade union took place one day after they met with Cabinet Chief Nicolás Posse and Interior Minister Guillermo Franco at Casa Rosada.
Both government officials reported the CGT leaders about the content of the Labor chapter of the new omnibus bill being sent to Congress.
The government’s rejection of collective bargaining agreements, like the one the Truckers’ Union reached with the sector’s companies, and the massive layoffs in several public dependencies hardened the position of some CGT leaders who were willing to intensify measures against the government and promoted a general strike.
On Wednesday, CGT leaders were invited to Casa Rosada by Francos and Posse, who led a meeting that lasted over three hours.
Present at the meeting were CGT’s general secretaries Héctor Daer and Carlos Acuña, general secretary of the Truckers’ Union, Hugo Moyano; UPCN leader Andrés Rodríguez; and general secretary of Water Works’ Union José Luis Lingeri. When the meeting was over, CGT leaders left without making comments to the press.
Also present at the meeting, representing other unions, were Gerardo Martínez (Construction Workers’ Union); Marina Jaureguiberry (Private Schools Teachers’ Union); Cristian Jerónimo (Glass Industry Workers’ Union); Susana Benítez (Television Workers’ Union); Jorge Sola (Insurance Workers); and Oscar Rojas (Maintenance Workers).
The core issues discussed at the meeting were wages, collective bargaining agreements and the threat of a second general strike against Javier Milei’s government. Also, they addressed the proposed labor reform bill drafted by UCR Congresspeople (Karina Banfi, Carla Carrizo and Fabio Quetglas, among them).
Earlier, CGT leaders had met with Unión por la Patria (UxP) senators, with whom they discussed the current social and economic situation and the impact of Milei’s policies on the workers’ wages.