Within the framework of the National Strike convened by the State Workers Association (ATE), which registers a high level of adhesion throughout the country, The first protests began this Tuesday at the airports of Bariloche, in Río Negro, and El Calafate, in Santa Cruz.
The measurement of force has as its central axis the demand for the immediate reopening of the joint ventures of the National Public Administration, with the aim of rebuilding the purchasing power of state salaries, deteriorated in the last two years.
In the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, ATE will concentrate starting at 11 in the Costa Salguero area, on Costanera Rafael Obligado and Jerónimo Salguero avenues. In addition, the union will hold a press conference from 12 at the Jorge Newbery Airport, where the presence of national leaders is expected to establish the union’s position regarding the Government’s salary policy.
The day of protest will also extend to other strategic organizations of the State. From 10 in the morning, demonstrations will be held at the National Meteorological Service (SMN) and at different science and technology entities, including the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI).
In this last organism, The protest will be directed against the announcement of the Minister of Deregulation and Transformation of the State, Federico Sturzeneggerabout the elimination of more than 900 functions considered vital by workers.
«Loss of rights»
The general secretary of ATE Nacional, Rodolfo Aguiar, said that the social context begins to support the claims of the sector. “We have to take advantage of this moment because society is beginning to agree with us. The smear campaign and stigmatization of public employment are left behind. “Everyone already realized that there was no gnocchi and that the cuts to the State did not benefit anyone, but rather translated into a phenomenal loss of rights for the entire society.”stated the leader.
Photo: NA Agency/ Daniel Vides
In a critical tone towards the Executive, Aguiar questioned the presidential agenda in the midst of the conflict. “While workers are in the country waiting for answers and a salary increase, the president plays the singer in Israel. We can’t stand Milei’s antics and antics anymore. It’s over,” he said. In addition, he warned that, if there are no answers, the conflict could deepen: “If there is no money for the workers, there will be no peace for the Government. The conflict will escalate and it will not be our responsibility.”
During the measure of force, only minimum guards are guaranteed in hospitals and emergency care in care centers for children, adolescents and the elderly.
Numerous services are also affected, including waste collection, education assistants, urban guard, migration, health controls in ports and customs of Senasa, public media radio operators, forest fire management brigades, traffic agents, air traffic controllers, the National Transport Regulation Commission (CNRT) and the maintenance of nuclear plants.
As reported, Only medical and state flights will be assured, while organizations such as PAMI and ANSES will exclusively deal with emergencies.
The measure was resolved at the meeting of the National Board of Directors of ATE held on April 9, with the participation of the 24 provincial general secretaries. The union anticipated that the protests will multiply in the different state organizations through assemblies, open radio stations and noises, among other modalities.
Joint order
ATE recalled that the joint period of the Collective Labor Agreement 214/06, which covers from June 2025 to May 2026, closed with salary increases agreed by the national government with the signature of UPCN that are already 5.4 points below inflation, waiting to know the index for the last two months. In this way, state workers accumulate a loss of more than 44% of their purchasing power during Javier Milei’s administration.
In this context, a study prepared by the Front of United Unions (FreSU), which makes up more than 140 union organizations from different labor centers, estimated that Each worker lost an average of 11,917,049 pesos in the public sector and 2,274,545 pesos in the private sector. in the last two years. According to the report, the total loss of employees amounts to 58 billion pesos during the current government.
Finally, from ATE they announced that the union will evaluate a new action plan in the face of possible attempts by the Executive to deepen the adjustment, defund areas of the State, advance in the dismantling of organizations and promote layoffs at the different levels of the public administration.
