Thursday early morning, the day of the national strike, began with totally empty train stations, barely any traffic and a strong adhesion to the strike. Even though the CGT (Argentine General Confederation of Labour) avoided mobilizing, there was also a mark of struggle in several of the main accesses to the City of Buenos Aires. In the northern area, on the Panamericana highway, workers of different companies together with other sectors and the left carried out a mobilization from FATE tire factory against the closing and a subsequent strike in defense of their jobs and against the labor reform. There, together with of MST in Left Unity Front, the elected Congress members Cele Fierro and Ingrid Urrutia were present.
“Making this General Strike ACTIVE. We’ll meet at the Congress to reject this slavery Labor Reform”
“DOWN with the Labor Reform! INCREASE salaries, strike and struggle”
“No to FATE shutdown, Ingrid Urrutia, general secretary of ATE internal commission of INCAA (National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts) expressing her solidarity with FATE workers”
Simultaneously, the Buenos Aires-La Plata highway registered a major paralysis headed by the left and other political groups, that confirmed that they would leave in a massive caravan towards the intersection of 9 de Julio and Avenida de Mayo. These actions mark a fundamental political difference with the “Sunday strike” proposed by the CGT leadership, counterposing from the rank and file a real active strike that organizes resistance.
The Pueyrredón Bridge was another of the central points of the morning, where the actions continued and there was an important struggle against the repressive protocol. Members of the Prefecture and the Federal Police tried to advance on the columns of workers. However, the firm determination of the combative sectors to resist in the place forced the security forces to withdraw momentarily. The elected deputy of MST in the FIT-U , Ana Paredes Landman, is there together with Andrea Lanzette and other ANCLA/MST representatives. This demonstration of strength at the accesses is the necessary engine so that the parliamentary thread in the Congress does not take place behind the backs of the people, making it clear that the social discontent will not stay at home.
Facing the session that intends to vote on the scrapping of labor rights, from the MST in the FIT-U we call for a massive rally at 12 noon on Avenida de Mayo and 9 de Julio. Together with the Cabildo Abierto column, the Garrahan Hospital workers and multipleorganizations, we will march to Congress to demand the total rejection of the law. We are convinced that only in unity, winning the streets and with a plan of struggle with continuity, we will be able to defeat Milei’s reform and his entire government plan. It is time to deepen the independent mobilization to break the surrender pact that is being cooked up in Parliament.
