ATE has set a national strike for Thursday with "surprise mobilizations" in Buenos Aires and throughout the country

The State Workers Association (ATE) called today for a national strike for next Thursday with "surprise mobilizations" in the city of Buenos Aires and protests in all the provinces and main districts of the country.

The strike is to " stop an adjustment that is undermining the entire social and productive fabric," the union said in a statement. ATE is demanding the "reopening of collective bargaining negotiations and the immediate start of a process of salary recovery," rejects the " merger and closure of organizations " and is asking for the " reinstatement of workers illegally dismissed ."

ATE, Association of State Workers — Rodolfo Aguiar: "Javier Milei and his government are faltering"

The union also demands the "employment continuity of all the contracts that expire on February 28 and March 31." In the City of Buenos Aires, for Thursday 27, the union confirmed a mobilization to INTA at 12 noon, to Desregulación y Transformación del Estado at 13, and to the Ministry of Health at 16.

“ Javier Milei and his government are reeling. They are going through the worst days since they took office. We have to continue to confront them on all levels as the only possibility of stopping an adjustment that is undermining the entire social and productive fabric,” said Rodolfo Aguiar , general secretary of ATE.

An ATE protest against layoffs was repressed

On Thursday, February 20, state workers held a demonstration in front of PAMI in the city of Buenos Aires, demanding the return of free medicines for thousands who lost access, which then moved to the doors of the Ministry of Human Capital headed by Sandra Pettovello, in rejection of the 2,800 layoffs expected by the end of the month.

After midday, the federal police and the prefecture advanced on the protesters and repressed them with tear gas and beatings . “Pettovello, far from being able to think about how to alleviate the poverty and unemployment rates, is trying to solve them with more repression. So we are going to demonstrate, we are going to protest and we are going to continue fighting so that our colleagues have the possibility of continuing to be guarantors of rights,” said the general secretary of ATE Capital, Daniel Catalano.

For its part, the Government denounced ATE for “destroying everyone’s heritage” by painting graffiti in front of the Ministry. “They have been asked to go to the scene and repair all the damage . If they do not, civil and criminal proceedings will be initiated,” warned Manuel Adorni, while Sandra Pettovello shared images from the building’s security camera and commented: “We will not allow them to continue vandalizing public buildings or trampling on the rights of citizens.”