Argentina university strike escalates with five‑day nationwide protest

Teachers' unions and non‑teaching staff at Argentina’s public universities have called a five‑day nationwide strike from 26 May to 30 May. The action follows the recent 4th Federal University March, which drew over 120,000 participants in Buenos Aires and large turnouts in Córdoba, Rosario, Santa Fe, Mendoza, La Plata and other cities.

The unions demand a salary readjustment to recover more than 34 % lost purchasing power, the opening of official collective bargaining negotiations, and the reactivation of the University Funding Law’s structural financing for daily operations of university buildings and hospitals. The government argues the protests are politicised, stresses a zero‑deficit fiscal policy and insists on audits before releasing funds.

If the strike proceeds, all teaching, administrative, technical and maintenance staff will be absent, forcing the closure of faculties, institutes and university hospitals and risking the loss of the first semester for many students.