Argentina’s general strike fights anti-worker ‘reforms’
Since Feb. 19, the day of the general strike, the working class of Argentina has begun to organize and mobilize. The strike was in response to the actions of both the Javier Milei administration and Argentina’s capitalist class, particularly over the proposed labor reform bill that seeks to roll back many gains previously won by Argentine workers.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 19, 2026. Strike protests layoffs and the labor reform bill.
The one-day strike brought several key industries to a halt. As reported by Al Jazeera on Feb. 20: “Subways were shuttered in Buenos Aires, fewer bus lines were running and Aerolineas Argentinas, the state airline, anticipated canceling 255 flights, at a loss of $300 million. Even banks and schools were closed in solidarity with the strike.”
The Milei administration has claimed the labor reform bill aims to modernize labor regulations, expand profits and attract foreign investment. The legislation, however, includes measures that would make it easier for companies to fire employees and reduce severance pay. It also proposes extending the standard workday from eight hours to 12, along with placing restrictions on strikes and collective bargaining agreements. For workers, these changes represent not modernization but regression.
It should also be remembered that even before taking office on Dec. 10, 2023, Milei openly campaigned on privatizing major sectors of the economy. His pro-Western and openly reactionary policies earned praise from elements of the U.S. capitalist class, who celebrated his victory and signaled support for both him and his party, La Libertad Avanza. None of this surprised the Argentine working class.
That’s why Argentina’s workers, including the General Confederation of Labor or CGT, along with the Argentine Workers Central Union, CTA, were able to organize such a powerful nationwide action. Although successful in stopping the economy, the strike faced state violence. The police fired rubber-coated bullets and deployed water cannons and tear gas against the protesting workers.
There have been discussions among the unions to call a 36-hour strike on Feb. 26-27, when the Senate is expected to vote on the labor reforms.
In conclusion, what the world is witnessing in real time reflects deeper tensions within the capitalist system itself, tensions that are not confined to one country. Whether this struggle expands or intensifies remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Argentine workers, Indian workers who recently held a one-day strike in which 300 million participated and workers here in the imperialist core who are striking are not passively accepting the capitalists’ attack on their rights and standard of living.
They are organizing, mobilizing and even in the face of repression are making their positions and actions known. Solidarity with the global working class!
