Argentina: Railway Lines Shut Down Pending Privatization Barbara Khol

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3-5-1991 Argentina: Railway Lines Shut Down Pending Privatization Barbara Khol

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Recommended Citation Khol, Barbara. "Argentina: Railway Lines Shut Down Pending Privatization." (1991). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/notisur/6144

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in NotiSur by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LADB Article Id: 067641 ISSN: 1060-4189 Argentina: Railway Lines Shut Down Pending Privatization by Barbara Khol Category/Department: General Published: Tuesday, March 5, 1991

On March 4 at a press conference in Buenos Aires, Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo announced that the railway lines affected by strikes since Feb. 14 are to be closed down effective March 5. He added that the railways will not be returned to service until after privatization. The combined workforce of the San Martin, Mitre, General Roca and Sarmiento railways is about 13,000. An average 1.2 million persons in Greater Buenos Aires used trains to commute to work. Cavallo said, "We cannot permit anarquist attitudes, such as the call to strike for an indefinite period, although we understand the sacrifices made by public employees" caused by low wages. The minister stated that privatization of the railway systems under the state-run Ferrocarriles Argentinos would be "accelerated." Next, railway lines that cannot be sold to the private sector will not be reopened. Police reported Monday night that three railway employees were arrested after having set fire to three railroad cars pertaining to the General Roca line. On Feb. 28, negotiations between strike leaders and Labor Ministry officials broke down after workers opted for an indefinite work stoppage. The government had insisted that strikers return to work by March 1 as a precondition to talks on wage hikes and reinstatement of fired employees. The strike had paralyzed four railway lines, and cut services by two others. (Basic data from AFP, 02/28/91, 03/04/91)

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