Angry Workers Protest Amid Deepening Layoffs by Milei Administration in Argentina

Protesting workers, members of a union representing recently laid-off state employees, held a demonstration in Buenos Aires on Monday. The protest occurred at several locations, including the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI), the Gender Secretariat, and the Human Rights Secretariat, organized by the Association of State Workers (ATE). Police officers equipped with riot shields were present to oversee the protest. The union asserts that more than 15,000 layoffs have been ordered by President Javier Milei in an effort to reduce public spending. Thousands of state employees were dismissed on Friday in a new wave of layoffs that further cut programs related to memory and reparation for dictatorship victims, gender-based violence prevention, and welfare.

According to union representatives, most workers were informally notified via email or WhatsApp on Friday afternoon that their contracts would not be renewed.

A report published on Sunday by ATE recorded a total of 2,300 layoffs on Friday. A government source estimated the number to be around 5,000 but did not officially confirm it. Formal notices are expected to be issued on Monday morning.

"These layoffs can be translated as citizens losing their rights," stated Rodolfo Aguiar, national head of ATE, in a communiqué on Sunday. "Public jobs are tightly connected to social, economic, and cultural rights, which the state has to guarantee through public policies."

According to ATE’s register, the most affected areas include the remnants of the ex-Women, Genders and Diversity Ministry (450 layoffs or 80% of its staff) and the Social Development Secretariat (370). State programs that previously belonged to the Women, Genders and Diversity Ministry are now operating with minimal personnel or none at all.

"None of the programs are certain to continue, they have been completely dismantled," said Nani Smith, a union representative at the former ministry from ATE’s Buenos Aires city branch.

Two key initiatives against gender-based violence saw their staff cut in half this week: the Acompañar program, which offers survivors a monthly stipend, psychological support, and legal assistance, and the 144 hotline, Argentina’s service for victims. Only 15 people remain working per shift at the hotline, with even fewer on weekends.

Smith added that those laid off included pregnant workers, individuals on extended sick leave, and those protected by the travesti-trans labor quota. On Monday, ATE representatives from these areas plan to meet with Justice Ministry authorities to discuss the working conditions of the remaining employees. Other affected areas include the Industrial Technology National Institute (INTI) with 285 layoffs, the National Parks Administration (79), the Human Rights Secretariat (58), and the INCAA Film Institute (20).

ATE's register is not comprehensive as more notifications are expected from Monday onwards, and some entities and regions have yet to be monitored.

This marks the third wave of massive layoffs under Javier Milei’s administration: approximately 5,000 people were fired in December, and another 14,000 in March, according to ATE. Most public employees are hired under temporary contracts that need periodic renewal, with only a few being permanent staff. Those affected had temporary contracts ending in December, March, and June that were not renewed.

Workers from memory sites, the National Memory Archive, the Unified State Terrorism Victims Register, and the Reparation Policies Directorate were also laid off. All these areas fall under the Human Rights Secretariat. “We see these layoffs as the start of dismantling this secretariat and the human rights policies agreed upon many years ago,” said a communiqué from ATE representatives of the Justice Ministry and the secretariat.

Approximately 360 Social Development workers — reduced from a ministry to a secretariat by Milei — were laid off on Friday, adding to the 1,040 fired in March and 300 in December. “All employees doing on-the-ground work have been fired, and 56 local reference centers that facilitated public policy access federally have been shut down,” said Ingrid Manfred, head of ATE representatives at the secretariat. “The authorities want to replace them with a phone line. They are abandoning the most vulnerable.”

Why This Matters: The mass layoffs highlight significant reductions in Argentina's public sector workforce, impacting essential social services and programs, and raising concerns about the protection of human rights and support for vulnerable populations.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 15,000 state employees have been laid off under President Javier Milei's administration.
• Essential social services and programs have been significantly impacted, with many operating with minimal staff or shutting down.
• Informal notifications of layoffs were primarily sent via email or WhatsApp.
• This is the third wave of significant layoffs, following previous ones in December and March.
• Concerns are rising about the protection of human rights and support for vulnerable populations in Argentina.