Students at a sit-in demonstration in front of one of the buildings of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: Juan Lehmann/Sputnik.
Thousands of students have occupied over 40 universities in protest against Argentinian President Javier Milei’s veto, halting the budget raise for universities that was recently supported by Congress. The student unions are also preparing protests and expect support from the labor unions.
“If we do not act now, it is likely that universities will end up on the brink of closure,” a student leader told Sputnik.
After Congress ratified President Milei’s veto that halted the update of fund transfers, the teachers’ unions launched a national strike demanding dignified salaries to compensate for the drastic decline in their purchasing power.
On Wednesday, October 9, as soon as it was announced that the Congress had been unable to gather the two-thirds of the votes necessary to halt the decree of veto signed by Milei, the National Universities Union announced a general strike. Simultaneously, students from higher education institutions decided to lead the resistance against the veto by occupying buildings and holding classes in the open, a form of protest that has now spread throughout the country.
The student uprising resulted in the occupation of more than 40 universities and the establishment of vigils in dozens of educational institutions across Argentina. From the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the most prestigious university in the country, to the National University of Tierra del Fuego (in the far south) and to the National University of Jujuy (in the north, on the border with Bolivia), the demand has spread far and wide and turned into a massive protest.
“Without decent salaries, the university cannot function,” read the slogans printed on posters. The student protest is in solidarity with the teachers, who claim that their purchasing power has collapsed by 40% in real terms since December 2023 amid the fiscal austerity policy implemented by the government in pursuit of reducing the budget deficit.
In this context, students and teachers are focused on the potential support that they can receive from labor unions grouped into the platform of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT). The precedent is clear: when students and labor unions joined forces to protest against the austerity measures in April of this year, the government was forced to concede by increasing the budget allocated to the operational expenses of the universities.
A cry from the classrooms
“We need to stop the government’s austerity measures. If we do not react now, it is likely that universities will end up on the brink of closure because the budget situation is unsustainable,” said Florencia Sarmiento, president of the Student Center of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the National University of San MartĂn, in Buenos Aires province, to Sputnik.
“On Tuesday [October 8], we decided to spend the night at the faculty,” she added. “We left on Wednesday [October 9], hoping that Congress would put a stop to the adjustment, but now we must return to reinforce our demand. This is the only way. We need to broaden solidarity with the teachers, and we need the support of the entire society.”
The claim is, above all, financial support from the government. Pablo del PĂłpolo is a student representative of the Faculty of Humanities of the National University of Rosario in Santa Fe province. In statements to Sputnik, he said, “We are protesting because the adjustment is starting to increase academic dropout rates, as there are students who cannot afford the transport fare to reach the university.”
“Almost 50% of the faculty members in our department work pro bono,” he continued. “If we don’t set a limit now, we might reach a point of no return. We, the students, have to organize ourselves and demand that public, free, and quality university education remains a source of pride that enables upward social mobility for all Argentinians.”
Pressure on labor unions
No matter the strength of Student Centers all over the country, their demand is at risk of being ignored by the government if they do not receive support from labor unions. For this reason, student representatives are counting on garnering the fundamental support of the General Confederation of Labor, the largest trade union in Argentina, both for its symbolic presence and street presence.
“Obviously, the workers will support our fellow teachers as well as students in their legitimate demands. We did it before, and we will do it again. If we have to take to the streets, we will be there,” Omar Plaini, general secretary of the Canillitas union and a leader of the CGT, told Sputnik.
The possibility of convergence between labor unions and university students sparks hope among the demonstrators. In Argentina, the alliance between the two sectors has a well-known historical precedent: the Cordobazo of 1969, when thousands of people took to the streets to protest the increase in students’ transport fares.
“We have a very strong bond with the teachers’ unions, but we need the support of all sectors of workers so that our voice is heard more. We hope you join us in this struggle, which is collective,” said Del PĂłpolo.
(Sputnik) by Juan Lehmann
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
