June 9, 2000
A general strike launched by Argentine unions to protest the government's austerity program virtually paralyzed the capital Friday as public transportation ground to a halt and workers took to the streets. But President Fernando de la Rua dismissed the strike Friday, saying it was "as wide as it is unnecessary and useless."
"Violence is not the way, and we are not going to alter our direction," he told reporters as he met here with economy ministers from the Mercosur regional trade bloc.
The few buses and cabs that ventured outside in the morning were attacked by angry protesters or had their tires punctured by nails placed on the roads. Mass transit service in the capital was reduced to a minimum, and few taxis were seen in streets practically taken over by demonstrators. Bank employees noisily marched through the downtown area, chanting slogans and launching fireworks.
There was no trash collection, and people determined to get to work had to negotiate garbage-strewn streets on bicycle or on foot. Approximately half of the 120 daily flights to or from Buenos Aires' airport were cancelled or delayed. Several planes left with only 10 percent of seats filled.
Police reported a group of masked protestors had attacked the Neuquen province offices of the Spanish oil company Repsol, smashing windows, computers and setting fire to the curtains. But Interior Minister Federico Storani said other than the violence in Respol and shootings at three buses in Parana, the strike went off largely without violence. By midday, about 50 arrests had been made in connection with the strike.
According to the interior ministry, 60 percent of workers were taking part in the work stoppage. However, Hugo Moyano, leader of the Transport Workers' Union, put the participation rate at 91.5 percent. "This is a strike from the heart of the people," a euphoric Moyano told reporters.
His first call for a strike to protest changes to Argentina's labor laws failed to generate the broad-based support among other union leaders that Friday's strike had. Both government officials and labor leaders agreed that this strike was larger, and a quick look around Buenos Aires showed a city paralyzed. Virtually no traffic cold flow through the streets, and subway trains ran on a bare-bones schedule.
More than 50 percent of factory workers in Buenos Aires, the country's most industrialized region, observed the strike, union leaders said. The strike comes 10 days after the government adopted a plan to raise taxes and cut spending by 938 million dollars, arguing the cut-backs were needed to generate new jobs and ease unemployment, which is hovering around 14 percent.
Under the plan, many public employees will see their wages cut by as much as 12 percent, while government retirees will see their benefits reduced. But Moyano was adamant the Argentine government was not the main culprit in the situation. "The enemy is on the other side," he said, referring to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The IMF has granted Argentina a 7.3 billion dollar loan in exchange for a government commitment to keep this year's budget deficit below 4.7 billion dollars.
The strike was the second and largest workers' protest to confront de la Rua's six-month-old administration, which had already angered union leaders with its reform of the nation's labor laws.
More Information on Movement for Global Justice
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C íŸ 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
