The far-right government of President Javier Milei on Thursday imposed a significant restriction on the right to strike in Argentina across many sectors.
This move follows repeated criticism of unions and nationwide strikes against his austerity policies – there have been two such strikes across his 18 months in power.
According to the decree, numerous sectors have now been classified as essential, including air, maritime and river transportation; education; health and hospital services; customs and migration services related to foreign trade; telecommunications; as well as the production of gas, fuel and electricity.
In the event of a strike, these sectors must provide a minimum service level of 75 per cent.
Furthermore, the decree defines a list of sectors required to maintain an activity level of 50%.
These notably include the food industry; agricultural and mining activity; the production of medicine for hospitals; passenger transport; radio and television; so-called ‘continuous’ industrial activities, such as steel, aluminum, chemical and cement production; construction; banking and financial services; the hotel and gastronomy sectors; as well as the production of goods or services ‘that may be involved in export commitments’.
Meanwhile, the Education International (EI) trade union launched a call on Thursday for solidarity with Argentinian teachers and education unionists who are confronted with major attacks against their rights to strike and to collective bargaining.
EI said in a statement:
‘EI is in full solidarity with our member organisations in the country – the Confederación de Educadores Argentinos (CEA), the Confederación de Trabajadores de la Educación de la República Argentina (CTERA), the Federación Nacional de Docentes Universitarios (CONADU), and the Sindicato Argentino de Docentes Privados (SADOP), in their defence of labour rights, social justice, and public education.
The government of Argentina issued the Decree 340/25, which limits the right to strike for teachers and other public sectors.
‘The decree declares education as an “essential service”, but only for the specific purpose of restricting industrial action.
‘Teacher unions have univocally denounced this decree as unconstitutional and unfair, as well as a grotesque violation of their right to strike.
‘Similar attempts at limiting the right to strike of Argentinian teachers have previously been declared unconstitutional by national courts and rejected by international bodies, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
‘Teacher unions are also opposing a proposed amendment to Article 10 of the Law 26.075 on education funding.
‘If passed, this amendment would end the national government’s participation in the negotiations on minimum teacher salary, effectively abolishing a tripartite bargaining mechanism that guarantees a common minimum salary for all teachers in the country.
‘This body has been key to promoting decent and uniform working conditions, recognising the federal nature of Argentina’s education system.
‘These decisions, which are part of the regressive agenda of President Milei’s administration, represent a serious setback for teachers’ labour rights in Argentina and severely undermine social cohesion and justice in the country.
‘The government is jeopardising public education and the rights of those who support it.
‘EI condemns the two measures and urges the authorities of Argentina to withdraw the proposed amendment to Article 10 of Law 26.075 and to repeal Decree 340/25.’
Elsewhere, on Thursday Chile announced the withdrawal of three military attachés serving at the Latin American country’s embassy in Tel Aviv, citing the humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement’ the Chilean Foreign Ministry said that the decision, which had been coordinated with the Defence Ministry, was conveyed to Israeli authorities.
It added that the withdrawal of Chilean military attachés from Tel Aviv is due to ‘the extremely serious humanitarian situation currently experienced by the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip’.
It also cited ‘the disproportionate and indiscriminate military operation by the Israeli army’, as well as ‘constant obstacles to allowing aid’ into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised Chile’s ‘significant and courageous’ decision, saying it reflects global condemnation of ongoing Israeli crimes against Palestinians.
The Chilean government further called for serious international measures aimed at compelling the occupying entity to cease its bloody onslaught on Gaza and violent attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The government said: ‘Such actions must also ensure compliance with international legitimacy resolutions and international law, which unequivocally prohibit genocide and the killing of Palestinians in the occupied territories, incursions into their cities, land theft, and assaults on Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Chile’s move marks the latest escalation in tensions in the relations between Santiago and Tel Aviv.
The South American country has joined South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the regime’s brutal aggression on Gaza.
- On Thursday, Colombians continued their two-day general strike in support of a popular referendum on labour reform promoted by President Gustavo Petro.
In Bogota, workers, and students gathered in the morning at the National Park with flags and loudspeakers, organised by the leftist Historic Pact party, the Single Central of Workers (CUT), the Colombian Federation of Educators (FECODE), the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), and other grassroots social organisations.
Citizens marched through the streets to the rhythm of batucada in a spectacle that included some protesters on stilts waving Colombian flags.
As the march advanced along Seventh Avenue, people from other parts of the city joined the mobilisation, which maintained a festive and combative tone.
The massive march arrived at Bolivar Square, where citizens waved Colombian and Palestinian flags, symbolising the convergence of social struggles in the agenda of the popular mobilisation.
Yeimi Cante, spokesperson for the Union of Workers of Non-Governmental and Social Organisations (SintraONGS) said: ‘This mobilisation is part of the national strike to pressure Congress to guarantee workers’ rights.’
The Colombian CGT union congress President Percy Oyola said on Thursday that there will another general strike starting on 11th June which is set to last for 48 hours.
He said: ‘We are taking these actions because we want better working conditions, conditions that are not dangerous and we are demanding better pay because many workers cannot afford to live.’
