A Week of Strike at National Universities
The return to classrooms after the Monday, August 17 holiday will be marked by new protest measures at national universities. CONADU Histórica confirmed a strike extending from Tuesday, August 18, through Saturday, August 22, effectively leaving thousands of students without classes for the entire week.
At the National University of Rosario (UNR), the local faculty union Coad (Association of Teachers and Researchers) overwhelmingly adhered to the measure. In an internal consultation, 2,057 professors participated, with 1,340 (65.1%) voting in favor of the full week of strike.
Why Are They Striking?
- University Financing Law: Unions denounce that the government has not fully implemented it, despite being passed by Congress.
- Salary recovery: They claim that the raises granted did not compensate for the loss of purchasing power.
- Operating expenses: They demand a 20% increase for universities.
- University hospitals: They demand an extraordinary allocation of $50 billion (Argentine pesos).
- Student scholarships: Also part of the list of demands.
Protest Schedule
The fight plan does not end this week. According to Coad and other federations:
- August 18-22: Full-week strike (CONADU Histórica and Coad at UNR).
- August 27-28: 48-hour strike called by FEDUN (faculty) and FATUN (non-faculty).
- CONADU also confirmed a 48-hour strike for those same dates.
Furthermore, unions warned that if the government maintains its stance, they could advance with an indefinite withdrawal of labor credit, with weekly monitoring and review of the measure.
The Government's Response
The Ministry of Human Capital, led by Sandra Pettovello, responded by stating that it complied with the collective bargaining agreement signed on June 10 with faculty and non-faculty unions. According to the official statement, $666,823,011,021 has already been transferred for Personnel Expenses and Salary Increases, corresponding to June 2026 and the first installment of the Annual Supplementary Salary.
The breakdown of transfers to university hospitals includes:
| University | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National University of Cuyo | $2,259,960,000 | Monthly payment of $188,330,000 |
| University of Buenos Aires | $20,000,000,000 (Res. 420/26) | Accrued and transferred |
| University of Buenos Aires | $20,000,000,000 (Res. 484/26) | Accrued, in transfer process |
| National University of Córdoba | $2,259,960,000 | In administrative process |
| National University of La Rioja | $380,260,885 | In administrative process |
The ministry emphasized that it "continues to comply with the collective bargaining agreement" and that "the agreed salary increases are being paid according to the amounts, deadlines, and established schedule."
An Ongoing Conflict
This week's strike adds to the protest days held in recent weeks, such as the one on Wednesday, August 12, when CONADU called a strike alongside other federations. The conflict also has a judicial dimension: the courts have upheld the obligation to advance certain aspects of financing, but unions maintain that the executive has not fully complied.
University organizations warn that the conflict threatens to extend through a good part of the second semester, affecting the normal development of academic activities across the country.