Argentina: General strike September 24-25 /update 3

Event

Several trade unions -including the umbrella ATE (Asociación Trabajadores del Estado) and CGT organizations (Confederación General de Trabajo) - have called for a general strike to be held on Monday, September 24, and Tuesday, September 25, to denounce austerity measures proposed by the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The strike is set to begin at 12:00 (local time) on September 24, and will last until 23:59 on September 25. Public transportation workers are expected to take part, which could cause major disruptions to daily life in urban areas. Intercity buses could also be significantly impacted. It is unclear at this stage if aviation-sector workers will participate; mass flight disruptions have occurred during past general strikes. Previous strikes have also disrupted key amenities, such as banking, hospital, and government services.

An associated protest will be held at 12:00 on September 24 at the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires. Similar protests are also expected in Santa Fe and Rosario on September 25.

Context

Unions have staged numerous rallies and strikes in recent months and years to protest the country's economic conditions and policies introduced by the conservative administration of President Mauricio Marci. Macri announced on August 29 that Argentina would accept a USD 50 billion loan from the IMF to help address major inflation and currency devaluation, among other issues.

The CGT is the largest labor union in the country; one in five employees in Argentina, and two thirds of unionized workers, belong to the CGT.

Advice

Individuals in Argentina, particularly Buenos Aires, are advised to monitor developments to the situation, prepare for disruptions to daily life on September 24-25, and avoid public gatherings due to the risk of low-intensity violence.