Although the lengthy preamble, title and numerous articles of the presidential decree focused on the deregulation of the national merchant navy, the changes introduced by the text published on Wednesday, May 21, were far broader. The ultra-liberal government of Javier Milei, xho has been in office since December 2023, has imposed a significant restriction on the right to strike in Argentina across many sectors. This move follows repeated criticism of unions and nationwide strikes against his austerity policies – there have been two such strikes across just 18 months in power. According to the decree, numerous sectors have now been classified as essential, including air, maritime and river transportation; education; health and hospital services; customs and migration services related to foreign trade; telecommunications; as well as the production of gas, fuel and electricity. In the event of a strike, these sectors must provide a minimum service level of 75%.
Furthermore, the decree defines a list of sectors required to maintain an activity level of 50%. These notably include the food industry; agricultural and mining activity; the production of medicine for hospitals; passenger transport; radio and television; so-called “continuous” industrial activities, such as steel, aluminum, chemical and cement production; construction; banking and financial services; the hotel and gastronomy sectors; as well as the production of goods or services “that may be involved in export commitments.”
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