Just 45 days after taking office, Argentine President Javier Milei is facing a major test to his shock economic agenda as the country's largest labor union, the ConfederaciĂłn General del Trabajo (CGT), plans a nationwide general strike. The strike is being called by the opposition-aligned CGT and other union forces to protest Milei's sweeping measures to deregulate the economy, including dollarizing the economy, abolishing the central bank, and privatizing the pension system. Analysts warn that the strike has the potential to disrupt economic activity and grow in both size and potency, posing a political challenge for the labor unions. In response, Milei's administration has docked a day's pay from striking public servants and established an anonymous toll-free line for reporting threats and pressure on workers to stay away from their jobs. While the strike is unlikely to have an immediate impact on Milei's policies, subsequent strikes could have a greater impact if the economy fails to recover quickly enough.
Argentine President Javier Milei’s “Law of Bases” (Ley de Bases) is approaching a vote in the Senate. The omnibus bill is a set of 250 neo-liberal measures aimed against the working class. If approved, it will make it easier for banks, corporations, and public agencies to sack full-time workers and replace them with contingent workers. The legislation would also sanction the declaration of a state of emergency, giving the president authoritarian powers. The bill imposes new income taxes for single workers earning yearly extremely low wages of US $2,000 and families earning US $2400. The legislation also includes reductions in property taxes, measures to facilitate privatization of public firms, and deregulation of capitalist industry. The “center-right” Radical Civic Union (UCR) is demanding the removal of the state of emergency provisions and other changes. The bill constitutes a massive counter-revolutionary attack on public services and workers’ rights. The collapse of Argentina’s economy has accelerated under Milei's presidency, with rising living costs, unemployment, and the closure of small and medium firms. The working class has a history of resistance and protest, with past epochs of rebellion raising the necessity of a socialist revolution and a workers’ government. The current government is facing mass working class opposition, and the General Workers Federation (CGT) and the Autonomous Argentine Workers Federation (CTA-A) have called for support from the International Labor Organization (ILO). The CGT leader offered to carry out a “dialogue” with President Milei, and the union federations have made demands to secure their own economic interests. Argentine workers require the building of a revolutionary party and solidarity with workers across the globe.
In the Philippines, an opinion piece published in The Manila Times highlights the working conditions and status of workers in the country. The article references Carlos Polistico Garcia, the fourth president of the Republic, who announced major programs under his 'Filipino First Policy' before trade union leaders at the National Press Club. The working man, represented by the trade union leaders, was recognized as the backbone of the dreams and aspirations of the young republic. However, the article does not provide any further information or viewpoints on the current standing of workers in society [9f69fe9e].