Global union leaders joined together today to collectively denounce draconian attacks on workers’ rights by Argentine President Javier Milei.
After declaring their intention to privatise Aerolíneas Argentinas, the national airline of Argentina, the Milei government is escalating its anti-worker offensive by seeking to restrict the right to strike of aviation workers and pressing spurious criminal charges against Pablo Biro, General Secretary of the Asociación de Pilotos de Líneas Aéreas (APLA).
Representatives from aviation unions in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Spain, Colombia and Peru expressed their unwavering solidarity with workers in Argentina.
“The long and proud history of Argentina’s trade unions is under attack. It is critical for us to support our brothers and sisters and to expose the blatant lies of this government to the world,” said the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) General Secretary Stephen Cotton, addressing the meeting online from ITF House in London.
Wherever we sit in the world, we see struggles against far-right politicians who want to tear down the protections won by brave trade unionists who came before us. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Pablo Biro and all Argentine aviation workers. This fight is not just about aviation, this is a fight for fundamental workers’ rights.”
“We have a long memory. We remember the fights against privatisation of the 1990s. We have to go out and defeat this government, otherwise our youth and our country won’t have a future,” added ITF Civil Aviation Section Chair Edgardo Llano from APA (Argentina), addressing a packed union hall in Buenos Aires where trade unionists from across the country were gathered.
“We are inspired by your fight. The working class knows no borders, especially aviation workers who fly to every corner of this earth,” said Sara Nelson, ITF Civil Aviation Section Vice Chair, and president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) from the United States.
“We too have had to fight for our right to strike. We know that there is no collective bargaining without the right to strike. Corporate elites are not held back by integrity, honesty or humanity. You are on the frontlines of fighting to make sure all of us around the world are protected.”
Argentine unions have refused to back down. A new union coalition has come together to call a nation-wide strike of transport workers for 17 October.
17 October is a day of major historic significance in Argentina known as Loyalty Day. On this date in 1945 over 300,000 workers demonstrated in Buenos Aires, helping to bring an end to the military government.
ITF affiliates know that unity and solidarity are the only answer to divide and rule tactics and will continue to express their solidarity with workers in Argentina.
International union speakers included:
- Frank Moreels (ETF and BTB – Belgium)
- Edison Fraser (IAM – USA)
- Teri O’Toole (FAAA – Australia)
- Robert Hengster (ver.di – Germany)
- Chema Perez (UGT – Spain)
- Barvinder Bir (UNITE – UK)
- Rodrigo Maciel (FENTAC – Brazil)
- Luigi Mansi (FIT-CISL – Italy)
- Sara Nelson (AFA CWA – USA)
- Daniel Gallo (ACAV – Colombia)
- Oscar Montoya (FETAAP – Peru)
Media contact: media@itf.org.uk
About the ITF: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is a democratic, affiliate-led federation recognised as the world’s leading transport authority. We fight passionately to improve working lives; connecting trade unions from over 150 countries to secure rights, equality and justice for their members. We are the voice for nearly 16.5 million working women and men in the transport industry across the world.
