Argentina's government imposes stringent measures on the liberty to conduct strikes
Argentina's ultra-liberal president, Javier Milei, has issued a decree aimed at regulating the national merchant marine. However, the implications of this decree extend beyond the maritime sector. In force since December 2023, the decree significantly curtails the right to strike in several industries across Argentina.
Milei's administration, known for its repeated criticisms of unions and its austerity policies, has faced resistance from general strikes in the past eighteen months. The newly published decree designates several sectors as essential, including air, maritime, and river transport; education; health and hospital services; customs and migration services related to foreign trade; telecommunications; gas, fuel, and electrical energy production; as well as essential maintenance services in the food industry, agriculture, mining, and other industries.
In the event of a strike, these sectors are required to maintain a minimum service level of 75%. The decree also specifies a list of sectors that must maintain a minimum activity level of 50%. This includes the food industry, agriculture, mining, hospital medicine production, transport of persons, radio and television, continuous industrial activities such as steelmaking, aluminum production, chemical, and cement production, construction, banking and financial services, hotels and catering, and production activities subject to export commitments.
Although no specific information about this decree and its impact on key sectors is currently available, President Milei's administration has been working on economic reforms to address hyperinflation and economic instability in Argentina. The new decree may be part of these broader efforts to stabilize the economy and ensure essential services continue uninterrupted.
The new transportation policy-and-legislation decree, issued by President Milei, designates several sectors including transport, education, health, and more as essential, indicating a shift in politics as unions have been highly critical. This decree mandates a minimum service level for these sectors during strikes, signifying a significant change in the general news landscape of Argentina's labor more broadly.
Given Milei's administration's ongoing efforts to address hyperinflation and economic instability, this decree may be an integral part of broader policies aimed at ensuring essential services continue uninterrupted, ultimately influencing Argentina's overall economic policy-and-legislation landscape.
