A transport strike in Argentina brought Buenos Aires and other parts of the country to a standstill June 9. The 24-hour walkout—the second in three months—affected bus, train, plane and subway services. The strike was called by the Automotive Transport Union (UTA [5]) to oppose a move by the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to cap salary increases at 27%, complaining that the figure does not match the forecast 30% inflation expected this year. Highways were blocked and a mass rally held in front of the Labor Mnistry [6] building—but Ministrer Carlos Tomada was dismissive of the action. "This strike is anything but a strike which seeks to defend workers," he told reporters, charging that the workers were "striking against the popular government, and not against their employers."
Fernández also called the action a "politically driven strike that has the objective of generating confusion in the population." Pro-government union leaders joined administration officials in criticizing the strike. Hugo Yasky, secretary-general of the Argentine Workers Central (CTA [7]), said: "This strike has the implicit support of sectors aligned to special economic interests..." (BBC News [8], TeleSur [9], InfoBae [10], InfoBae [11], June 9)
On May 30, port workers in Argentina's Rosario grain export hub lifted a threat to launch a strike, to allow further negotiations with employers. The San Lorenzo branch of the General Labor Confederation (CGT [12]) announced its decision one day after the grains crushers' union reached a pay deal to end a three-week strike. (Reuters [13], May 30)
