The National Universities Union Front has announced a 48-hour strike scheduled for March 17 and 18. This measure aims to demand salary improvements and express rejection of the defunding that, according to the union, has been carried out by the Government of Javier Milei in higher education institutions.
In a statement released, the Union Front indicated that this action is a response to the policies implemented by Milei's government, which have had a negative impact on national universities. The union denounces a salary increase of 1.5% for January and 1.2% for February imposed by the Undersecretariat of University Policies, which exacerbates the accumulated salary loss during the year 2024.
The statement also points out that the Government is intensifying the salary crisis in both teaching and non-teaching staff, and is dismissing collective bargaining as a mechanism to discuss salaries and working conditions. This situation has led the union to call for the strike as a form of protest.
The 48-hour strike will coincide with the start of the academic year in national universities. The lack of a budget law for the year 2025 is presented as a serious problem, as it leaves these institutions without a clear budgetary outlook, jeopardizing the development of academic projects, research, and the maintenance of the scholarship system for students.
Additionally, the Union Front joins the International Feminist Strike on International Women's Day on March 8, urging teaching and non-teaching workers to participate in mobilizations across the country against poverty, looting, and injustice.
