Argentina teachers' union calls nationwide strike for August 3

Argentina's powerful CTERA teachers' union has called for a nationwide strike on August 3, escalating tensions with the government. The union cites the government's "permanent refusal" to convene national salary negotiations as the primary reason for the work stoppage.

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The decision responds to the Government's permanent refusal to convene national teacher salary negotiations, violating current legislation and ignoring a fundamental forum for discussing salaries, working conditions, training, and educational investment.

CTERA argues that this refusal violates current legislation and ignores a crucial forum for discussing salaries, working conditions, and educational investment. The union also decries the "deepening underfunding of the education system," asserting that teachers' salaries are losing purchasing power and that national education funds remain unpaid.

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While the underfunding of the education system deepens, teachers' salaries continue to lose purchasing power, the non-compliance in the restitution of FONID and national education funds is maintained, and initiatives that seek to cut labor and social security rights and the social right to education advance.

In addition to salary demands, CTERA is pushing for the immediate restoration and payment of the FONID (National Teacher Salary Fund) and other national education funds. The union also opposes any "retirement reform" and a proposed "Educational Freedom Law," which it claims threatens the right to education, teaching profession, and the state's responsibility to provide quality public education.

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Urgent call for national teacher salary negotiations; salary increase to recover the purchasing power of salaries; restitution and immediate payment of FONID and national funds for education and the sanction of a new Educational Financing Law.

The strike is planned to coincide with the restart of classes in Buenos Aires City and Province after winter break. CTERA is urging educators nationwide to join a "massive day of struggle" alongside other unions, students, and the broader educational community to defend public education and the rights of teachers, students, and retirees. This action aligns with a separate strike called by the ATE state workers' union on the same day, which includes a protest at the Ministry of Economy.

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To build a massive day of struggle, along with union, student, and educational community organizations, to defend public school, the rights of teachers, students, and retirees.