Their representatives confirmed this at a press conference this noon. On a day marked by the definitive closure of FATE after 80 years, leaving 920 workers unemployed, and on another Wednesday when retirees are once again preparing to protest before a besieged National Congress, which is discussing in committees the regressive Labor Reform promoted by the government of Javier Milei, which seeks to eliminate the labor rights conquered by Argentine workers over decades.
A Congress besieged by federal forces.
Against the backdrop of FATE's closure and retirees preparing to protest before a besieged National Congress, which is discussing the Labor Reform in committees, the CGT confirmed that it will hold a 24-hour national strike without a march for this Thursday, the 19th, so that «there is no one on the streets». Afterwards, there will be an open radio broadcast and a «Semaforazo».
In Guernica (Presidente Perón), there will be a cut on Route 210 and El Dado, starting at 9 AM. The CTERA teachers' union and the health sector, led by Garrahan Hospital, are also striking and marching. And in response to the CGT's call for a «Sunday» strike, a large diversity of combative base unions, local chapters, left-wing political parties, and social organizations, grouped in the different coordinators of the Greater Buenos Aires area (north, northwest, west, south, and La Plata), will carry out local cuts and actions from early morning, and then several delegations will converge at the Congress from noon.
The teachers' union will gather from 12 PM on Avenida de Mayo and Bernardo de Irigoyen.
The public health sector, led by the struggles against disciplinary measures at Garrahan Hospital and mass layoffs at Posadas Hospital, will also strike and march, gathering from 12 PM on Avenida de Mayo and 9 de Julio to then march to the Congress.
Cuts and marches to activate the CGT's «Sunday» strike.
Meanwhile, in response to the CGT's call for a «Sunday» strike without a march, a large diversity of combative base unions, local chapters, left-wing political parties, and social and territorial organizations have announced they will carry out local actions throughout the country, with several converging at the National Congress at noon this Thursday, the 19th.
We share some of the measures voted for for the day of struggle in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area:
The Northwest Coordinator will make a cut starting at 7:30 AM on the San Martín Avenue and General Paz bridge.
The West Coordinator will make a cut in the locality of Moreno, at 8:30 AM, at Libertador and Manuel Sarratea. Merlo to confirm.
The South Coordinator will gather at 9:30 AM at Plaza Alsina to then march along Avenida Mitre towards the Pueyrredón Bridge, which connects the city of Avellaneda with the City of Buenos Aires.
The North Coordinator will make a cut starting at 6 AM on Route 197 and the Panamericana Highway.
The La Plata Coordinator will hold a concentration early in the morning at the exit of the Buenos Aires-La Plata highway and then a caravan to Congress.
In Alejandro Korn (Almirante Brown), there will be a cut at Route 210, from 9 AM.
Factories closing — like FATE — and a country on the brink of explosion.
When a government needs to shield itself to hold a session, it's not strength, it's fear. Fear of the people and the consequences of its own policies.
Learn about the protest points.
By ANRed.
The CGT seeks that «there is no one on the streets».
The CGT seeks that «there is no one on the streets». The triumvirate emphasized that the general strike will be «forceful» and seeks that «there is no one on the streets,» as a supposed form of rejection of the labor reform, in addition to highlighting that this time the CGT's measure of force is supported by the Argentine Union of Tramway and Bus Drivers (UTA), which has already guaranteed its adherence to the CGT.
GENERAL STRIKE – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19
We are striking across the country against the labor reform that seeks to roll back conquered rights.
We strike because we defend: * Argentine work * the national industry * collective bargaining agreements * the dignity of workers and workers…
During his speech, the CGT triumvir Jorge Sola (Insurance Union) emphasized that the country is going through a deep socio-labor crisis, which has left «300,000 formal jobs lost in the last two years,» the closure of FATE with «almost 1,000 workers» fired, and the disappearance of «more than 21,000 SMEs,» while assuring that Milei's policies are causing «400 formal jobs to be lost every day» and that the industry is operating with «less than 50%» of its installed capacity, due to the «indiscriminate opening to imports».
The FreSU Front calls for a national strike and a march to the Congress «in defense of the national industry and work».
In contrast to the passive strike called by the CGT, the United Trade Unions Front (FreSU) — made up of both CTAs, the UOM, the Oilseed Workers, the Aviation Personnel Association, the Airline Pilots Association, FESPROSA, and more than 70 organizations — with a more confrontational position against the Labor Reform and the general policies of Milei's government, announced a strike and a march to the Congress.
«The United Trade Unions Front (FreSU) ratifies the National Strike and the march to the Nation's Congress scheduled for this Thursday, February 19, when a day of struggle will be held throughout the country coinciding with the treatment of the labor reform project in the Chamber of Deputies. In the face of the attempt to advance on the historical rights of workers, FreSU maintains that it is necessary to take the resistance to the streets,» the union front sentences, which will march «in defense of the rights of workers,» «for an urgent salary increase» and «in defense of the national industry and work».
Within the framework of the day of struggle, they plan to hold a press conference at 11 AM at the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo House (Hipólito Yrigoyen Avenue 1584) and then, at 12 PM, a concentration on Bernardo de Irigoyen and Avenida de Mayo to begin the march towards the National Congress.
The CTERA is also striking and marching against the labor reform, including the sectoral demands of «salary increase» and «enough of adjustments to education».
Afterwards, there will be an open radio broadcast and a «Semaforazo».
In Glew (Almirante Brown), there will be a cut at 210 and Patria (Rosedal).
In Longchamps (Almirante Brown), there will be a cut on Route 210 and the technical school.
In Claypole (Almirante Brown), a cut at the Claypole bridge climb.
Finally, delegations from the different union struggle coordinators of Greater Buenos Aires (north, northwest, west, south, and La Plata zones) are expected to depart from the different territories towards the Congress to converge from 12 PM at the intersection of 9 de Julio and Avenida de Mayo with the different union, political, and social sectors that will be marching.
In Montegrande, meanwhile, there will be a «cacerolazo» at 6 PM at the station's tank.
Work, not repression.
In this context, the CGT leadership ratified at a press conference the 24-hour strike without a march for this Thursday, the 19th, when it is expected that the Chamber of Deputies will treat the regressive Labor Reform project, which the Government of Javier Milei hopes to be discussed and voted on this Thursday and the 27th in the Senate.
The labor center frames the measure within a plan of action that had as a precedent a mobilization to Plaza de Mayo on December 18, 2025, the mobilization to the Congress last Wednesday, and a dialogue with governors and legislators, which they considered was not enough to stop the project that was passed by a wide margin in the Senate.
The United Trade Unions Front (FreSU) — made up of both CTAs, the UOM, the Oilseed Workers, the Aviation Personnel Association, the Airline Pilots Association, FESPROSA, and more than 70 organizations — with a more confrontational position, announced a strike and a march.
No final flourish.
