National Strike Causes $200 Million Loss for Trenes Argentinos; Over 6.6 Million Users without Public Transport

On May 9, a national strike called by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) will result in a $200 million loss for Trenes Argentinos. This is according to the transport secretary. The strike by some unions in the railway sector will affect about a million people, with interruptions in traffic in the metropolis, regional and intercity trains. In total, at least 6.6 million users will be without public transport this day, affecting almost 5 million passengers in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area alone.

Outside of AMBA, around 1.5 million people across the country who use the SUBE card system will also be deprived of travel due to the strike. Despite this disruption, there are more than 2,300 bus units on the streets, with almost 40% of normal traffic. The National Traffic Regulatory Commission is working on controls to ensure the safety of bus drivers and passengers. Additional units are expected to be deployed in the coming hours.

The metro system is also down as metro delegates have joined the strike in Buenos Aires. This decision affects all metro lines as well as Premetro. The national government has announced that it will refuse subsidies for a whole day to companies that do not provide services during the strike, which is a sign of a policy shift towards subsidizing strikes in the transport sector.

In response to this situation, the Ministry of Transport has sent a message to unions stressing that those who want to work should be protected and not subjected to coercive tactics. This marks a significant change in how strikes are treated in the sector, with