The ITF and provincial government vow to defend workers’ rights and the Argentine union model.
The International Transport Worker’s Federation (ITF) joined Alex Kicillof, Governor of Buenos Aires, and regional government ministers this week to discuss perspectives on the anti-worker, national agenda of President of Argentina, Javier Milei.
In a meeting on Thursday at Government House in the province of Buenos Aires, both parties agreed that coordinated responses are needed in response to deregulation of transport workers’ labour rights, alongside a strengthening of social dialogue.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton stressed that Argentina has a solid trade union model, recognised as a benchmark both in the region and globally – and underlined the importance of unity, solidarity and collective struggle in defending hard-won workers’ rights in Argentina.
“We note with concern that the current Argentine Government is determined to oversee the decline of fundamental rights recognised by International Labour Organization conventions, weakening the essential instruments that underpin social dialogue,” he said. “This is causing a loss of rights won after decades of collective effort."
"The ITF reaffirms its commitment to work together with the Government of the Province of Buenos Aires and to support Argentine unions to confront labour reforms that represents a serious degradation of working conditions for the entire working class."
The ITF and the regional government agreed on the need to promote a development model that guarantees safe, accessible, efficient and sustainable transport services for the Argentinian people. The ITF reinforced its historic and ongoing commitment to the promotion of decent work, the protection of labour rights and the strengthening of international solidarity between transport trade union organisations.
Attendees at the meeting also included the regional ministers of labour and transport, Pablo Moyano, ITF Vice President for Latin America, ITF Executive Committee members Carlos Müller, Paulo João Estausia and Janaina Fernandes, Natalie Swan, ITF Director of Women Transport Workers and Gender Equality, Edgar Díaz, ITF Regional Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Clauber Castilho, ITF Regional Representative for Young Workers.
