The Metalworkers' Union (UOM) of Argentina plans to hold a 24-hour strike in all of the country's factories next Wednesday, as part of its "Dignity First" plan of action, demanding a salary increase and job security.
In a statement, the union asserted that the initiative is a commitment "to the defense of labor rights, the improvement of living conditions, and respect for the dignity of work."
The UOM referred to the high cost of living faced by Argentines, which saw a new increase in May for electricity, gas, water, prepaid medical services, rent, and public transportation, among other sectors.
For his part, UOM Secretary General Abel Furlán ratified the measure and warned that the adjustments implemented by Javier Milei's government have become more severe and put thousands of jobs at risk.
Guild data, cited by page 12, revealed that some 22.000 jobs have been lost in the sector since Javier Milei took office, and that between 30.000 and 50.000 more are at risk due to the widespread opening of imports.
"The opening of imports is beginning to put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk," Furlán said, anticipating a "very complex" scenario, as well as a "demand from colleagues to recover their wages because they are increasingly less enough."
The union's action plan was approved at the 2025 National Congress of Metalworkers' Delegates, held weeks earlier in Mar del Plata. The schedule calls for staggered 48- and 72-hour strikes in the coming weeks, but the dates have not been set.
