The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) began to outline a new protest scheme inspired by the French model, with the aim of destabilizing the government of Javier Milei through measures that destroy the Argentine economy.
Although there is still no formal definition regarding dates or modalities, the initiative is already circulating among the main leaders under the name of “social protest week,” a concept that anticipates a prolonged and escalated struggle plan.
The proposal will be debated in a key meeting scheduled for Wednesday, where representatives from unions in strategic sectors such as transportation, industry, energy, and food will participate.
The CGT
The goal of the labor federation is to reorganize its strategy after a series of failed protests and move towards a scheme that increases political and economic pressure on the libertarian administration.
In this context, the CGT has already decided to resume its offensive against the Government after expressing its criticisms at the annual conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
However, given the lack of support for previous general strikes, the CGT is evaluating more aggressive and sustained alternatives over time.
French protesters
The French model
The idea promoted by sectors such as the Confederation of Transport Workers (CATT) proposes to replicate the violent scheme applied in France during the protests against the reforms of Emmanuel Macron in 2023.
This model, known as “escalating strike,” consists of the rotating paralysis of key sectors. Instead of stopping the entire country, unions coordinated sectoral strikes in a sequenced manner, meaning that different activities are interrupted alternately each week, accompanied by constant mobilizations.
According to its proponents, this system allows for sustaining the conflict for months, aiming to generate the greatest possible economic damage.
In practice, it is a mechanism that seeks to destabilize Milei's Government through the impact on activity, regardless of the fact that millions of workers are harmed in the process.
Pablo Moyano
However, the strategy faces legal and operational limitations. The Labor Modernization Law establishes the obligation to guarantee minimum services in essential sectors, such as transportation, health, energy, and waste collection.
Additionally, the Government could impose mandatory conciliation, which would mean suspending the measures of force during a negotiation period.
The recent precedent of sanctions against unions that disobeyed these provisions, such as the fine imposed on La Fraternidad for failing to comply with mandatory conciliation, adds an element of tension to the scenario.
Despite these constraints, the CGT is moving forward in defining a plan that could escalate the union conflict in the coming weeks. The initiative will be debated in various internal instances, including the Board of Directors and the Central Confederation Committee.
