Argentina's UTA union calls 24-hour national bus strike

The Argentine transport union UTA (Unión Tranviarios Automotor) has confirmed a 24-hour national strike for urban passenger transport services, set to begin at midnight on Friday, August 14. This action follows the union's declaration of failed negotiations with employer associations under the auspices of the National Secretariat of Labor.

The core issue driving the strike is the salary disparity between bus drivers in the provinces and their counterparts in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA). UTA, led by Roberto Fernández, demands that the salary agreements reached in late July for AMBA drivers be applied nationwide. These agreements established a minimum wage exceeding $1.6 million for July, with further increases planned for August and September.

The union has deemed the current situation "unsustainable" and stated, "We will not accept that workers' salaries remain indefinitely subordinate to any circumstance." The strike is expected to impact short and medium-distance services across most of Argentina's interior provinces, though services within the AMBA will not be affected.

Employer associations, represented by FATAP (Argentine Federation of Passenger Road Transport), argue that matching the AMBA salaries is financially unviable due to differences in operating costs and state subsidies. FATAP claims that while AMBA operations receive around 60% state subsidy, provincial services receive only about 10%.

Jorge Berretta, vice president of Aetat (Association of Road Transport Entrepreneurs of Tucumán), explained that the salary increase is not merely a matter of willingness but is constrained by the sector's financial crisis. He indicated that without increased subsidies or significant fare hikes, provincial transport companies cannot meet demands comparable to those in the capital.

The strike could potentially be averted if the Ministry of Human Capital orders mandatory conciliation, compelling both parties to resume dialogue and postpone direct action. As of Thursday afternoon, employer associations had formally requested this measure from the labor ministry.

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No vamos a aceptar que el salario de los trabajadores quede subordinado indefinidamente a cualquier circunstancia.