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Education International (EI) launched a call to solidarity with Argentinian teachers and education unionists who are confronted with major attacks against their rights to strike and to collective bargaining.

EI stands in full solidarity with our member organisations in the country – the Confederación de Educadores Argentinos (CEA), the Confederación de Trabajadores de la Educación de la República Argentina (CTERA), the Federación Nacional de Docentes Universitarios (CONADU), and the Sindicato Argentino de Docentes Privados (SADOP), in their defence of labour rights, social justice, and public education.

On 21 May 2025, the Government of Argentina issued the Decree 340/25, which limits the right to strike for teachers and other public sectors. The decree declares education as an "essential service," but only for the specific purpose of restricting industrial action. Teacher unions have univocally denounced this decree as unconstitutional and unfair, as well as a grotesque violation of their right to strike. Similar attempts at limiting the right to strike of Argentinian teachers have previously been declared unconstitutional by national courts and rejected by international bodies, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Teacher unions are also opposing a proposed amendment to Article 10 of the Law 26.075 on education funding. If passed, this amendment would end the national government’s participation in the negotiations on minimum teacher salary, effectively abolishing a tripartite bargaining mechanism that guarantees a common minimum salary for all teachers in the country. This body has been key to promoting decent and uniform working conditions, recognising the federal nature of Argentina’s education system.

These decisions, which are part of the regressive agenda of Javier Milei’s administration, represent a serious setback for teachers' labour rights in Argentina and severely undermine social cohesion and justice in the country. The government is jeopardising public education and the rights of those who support it.

EI condemned the two measures and urged the authorities of Argentina to withdraw the proposed amendment to Article 10 of Law 26.075 and to repeal Decree 340/25.

EI invites its member organisations to take action now in support of our Argentinian colleagues:

• Send a letter of protest to the representatives of the Government of Argentina listed below, asking them to revert these anti-union measures and to respect the labour and collective bargaining rights of teachers. You can use the model letter attached to this circular.

• Sandra Viviana Pettovello, Ministra de Capital Humano: [email protected]
• Carlos Horacio Torrendell, Secretario de Educación: [email protected]
• Copy to EI: [email protected]
• Copy to the diplomatic representatives of Argentina accredited to your country. Please also forward a copy to EI.

• Inform your government about the trade union rights violations in Argentina.
• Give visibility to the situation of Argentinian teachers and unionists.

Education International will continue to fight alongside our members and partners around the globe to defend democracy, workers' rights, and the dignity of all people.