The strike: 24 hours, no street march
The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) confirmed it will carry out a 24-hour general strike on Thursday, February 19 — the same day Argentina's Chamber of Deputies is set to debate the Labor Reform bill. The action will proceed without street mobilization, at least as formally announced by the confederation's leadership.
The decision was made during a virtual meeting of the CGT's co-leaders: Octavio Argüello (Truckers' Union), Jorge Sola (Insurance Workers), and Cristian Jerónimo (Glass Workers). An official press conference is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18 at 11 AM, where full details will be announced.
The conditions are in place and the collective consensus has been reached to move forward with a national strike.
— Cristian Jerónimo, CGT Co-LeaderThe trigger: the controversial Article 44
At the heart of the conflict is Article 44, a provision added at the last minute during the Senate vote that regulates paid medical leave for illnesses or injuries sustained outside the workplace.
After publicly acknowledging an "error" in the drafting of Article 44, President Javier Milei's government agreed to accept modifications to the medical leave provisions in order to fast-track the bill through both chambers before extraordinary sessions expire.
The PRO and UCR blocs went further, calling for the article to be scrapped entirely. "The best way to pass the labor modernization law is to remove Article 44 altogether," said PRO bloc leader Cristian Ritondo.
No transport across Greater Buenos Aires
Rail workers, represented by the Unión Ferroviaria and La Fraternidad unions, are joining the strike. The Argentine Confederation of Transport Workers (CATT) — which groups together truckers, pilots, flight crews, maritime and river workers, and subway staff — has also confirmed its adhesion.
Throughout Buenos Aires City and the greater metropolitan area, there will be no buses, trains, or taxis for the full 24 hours of the strike. Flights will also be affected due to the participation of aviation unions, making Thursday, February 19 a day of near-total transport paralysis across the region.
Race against the clock: the legislative calendar
The ruling coalition has activated a legislative blitz to have the labor reform passed before the opening of regular congressional sessions on March 1. The schedule is as follows:
Context: an escalating union action plan
The strike call comes within a broader union action plan that has included a rally at Plaza de Mayo on December 18, another march to Congress the previous week, and rounds of dialogue with governors and lawmakers — none of which succeeded in stopping the bill, which passed the Senate by a wide margin.
More combative union sectors, grouped under the United Unions Front (FRESU), criticized the decision to strike without a street march. Rodolfo Aguiar, a leading figure in the group, was unequivocal: he argued the reform cannot be stopped without mobilization, and called for bolder measures including picket lines and regional marches.
With this fourth general strike, the relationship between the Milei government and organized labor enters a new and more turbulent phase. The image of a country brought to a standstill — no transport, vast productive sectors paralyzed — will send a powerful message on the day that one of the administration's most significant structural reforms goes to a vote.