Argentine universities face national strike over financing law

National university protests are intensifying as workers and professors demand the comprehensive application of the University Financing Law. This legislation, they argue, has been ignored for 300 days, leading to ongoing measures of force and demonstrations across Argentina's universities.

The Conadu Histórica federation, a key sector union, has initiated a series of strikes scheduled from August 17th to August 22nd. Their primary demand is for salary recomposition that aligns with the provisions of the financing law. A significant protest is planned for August 19th at 7 p.m. in front of the Palacio Pizzurno, the seat of the Secretariat of Education.

The impact of the current strike varies significantly between institutions and even within different faculties of the same university. At the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the strike's effect is described as limited and uneven. This is partly because ADUBA, the largest faculty union, has not joined the action, nor have non-teaching staff unions. While some classes are suspended in faculties like Social Sciences and Philosophy and Letters, others, such as Law, Dentistry, and Architecture, are operating normally.

Sources within UBA's Exact Sciences faculty also noted the limited impact, attributing the protest primarily to AGD, a smaller union with active members in certain academic units. Despite the varying levels of participation, student and teacher organizations, including the Argentine University Federation (FUA), are maintaining pressure with planned activities like "tents for the University and Sovereignty" across the country until Thursday to keep the conflict visible.