Shops and supermarkets closed, flights were cancelled, and rubbish piled up on Thursday as Argentine workers staged their fourth general strike of President Javier Milei’s term, with some clashes reported with police.
In Buenos Aires, buses ran largely empty, though road traffic was unusually heavy as many workers observed the 24-hour strike in protest against a controversial labour reform. Dozens of flights were cancelled, and train stations were deserted, with only a handful of buses operating, AFP reported.
On roads leading into the capital, small groups of protesters blocked traffic. Later, several thousand demonstrators gathered outside parliament, where some engaged in running battles with police, throwing bottles and stones. Officers responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets, making around a dozen arrests.
The CGT labour federation said more workers participated in Thursday’s walkout than in the previous three strikes.
“It has levels of compliance like never before under this government,” union leader Jorge Sola told Radio con Vos, claiming “90 percent of activity had stopped.”
The reforms, promoted by the budget-cutting Milei, an ideological ally of Donald Trump, would make it easier to hire and fire workers in a country where job security is already precarious. They would also reduce severance pay, limit the right to strike, increase working hours, and restrict holiday entitlements.
The measure was approved by the Chamber of Deputies in the early hours of Friday and will now return to the Senate for a final vote.
“I want to work because I am afraid of losing my job, but I cannot get there. I will have to walk,” said Nora Benitez, a 46-year-old home carer, ahead of a five-kilometre trek along streets littered with uncollected rubbish.
Reforms spark protests
The labour action comes as Argentina’s manufacturing sector shows signs of decline, with more than 21,000 companies closing in the past two years under Milei. He came to power after wielding a chainsaw at rallies during the 2023 election campaign to symbolise deep cuts to public spending.
Unions say roughly 300,000 jobs have been lost since Milei’s austerity measures began. Most recently, Fate—Argentina's main tyre factory—announced the closure of its Buenos Aires plant on Wednesday, cutting around 900 jobs.
The last general strike in Argentina took place on 10 April 2025, though participation was uneven as public transport workers did not join. Last week, thousands protested in Buenos Aires as senators debated the reform bill, resulting in about 30 arrests after clashes with police.
On Tuesday, the government issued an unusual statement warning reporters about the “risk” of covering protests and announced an “exclusive zone” for media operations.
“In the event of acts of violence, our forces will act,” the security ministry said.
Almost 40 per cent of Argentine workers lack formal employment contracts, and unions argue the new measures will worsen conditions. The government, however, claims the reforms will reduce informal employment and create jobs by lowering the tax burden on employers.
Milei, in office since December 2023, has achieved at least one macroeconomic target: bringing annual inflation down from 150 per cent to 32 per cent in two years. Yet this success has come at the cost of significant public sector job cuts and reduced disposable income, which has weakened consumption and economic activity.
Milei will monitor Thursday’s events from Washington, where he attended the first meeting of Trump’s “Board of Peace", an initiative criticised as a potential rival to the United Nations.
