Teachers Strike in La Plata Sees High Adherence Despite Government Sanction Threats

Teachers across La Plata, Argentina, demonstrated strong adherence to a nationwide strike, with many public schools reporting near-total participation. In some institutions, such as the Eva Duarte Secondary School N°83 in Gonnet, the strike saw an impressive 98% adherence rate among both teaching and auxiliary staff. This high level of engagement underscores the widespread discontent among educators.

The strike, organized by the Confederation of Education Workers of the Argentine Republic (Ctera), proceeded despite explicit threats of sanctions from the national government of Javier Milei against participating workers. The government's stance, however, did not deter the majority of the over 300,000 teachers in the Buenos Aires province from joining the action. María Laura Torre, deputy general secretary of the Unified Union of Education Workers of the Province of Buenos Aires (Suteba), confirmed the high turnout across the country and specifically in the province.

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No, nobody came here. If [Capital Human Minister Sandra] Pettovello wants to come, she can. We can show her the serious deficiencies we have in resources and infrastructure.

A survey conducted by LA NACION in ten public primary and secondary schools in La Plata revealed empty classrooms and a significant impact from the work stoppage. Schools like Primary School N°67 Enrique Galli and Secondary School N°57 reported full adherence, affecting both teachers and support staff. Other schools, including N°92 América in Gorina and N°47 in City Bell, also saw adherence exceeding 90%, with only administrative staff present. The measure of force was also felt in special education establishments, which reported high participation.

While public schools experienced widespread adherence, the level of participation was reportedly lower in private educational institutions. The General Directorate of Culture and Education of the Buenos Aires province, led by Flavia Terigi, monitored the strike's reach, but official figures on adherence had not yet been released. The strike highlights ongoing tensions between educators and the government regarding resources, infrastructure, and potential sanctions.

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The strike has a very high adherence throughout the country and also in the province.