ARGENTINIAN trade unions have staged a one-day general strike in protest at an austerity drive by the government of President Javier Milei.

Led by main labour confederation the CGT, union members, including rail workers, teachers, customs officials, refuse collectors and postal staff walked out at midnight on Wednesday. Airports emptied as the main carriers halted operations and many public hospitals only accepted emergency cases.

The government claimed the stoppage had cost the economy $880 million (£672m).

“We are joining the strike for fair collective bargaining, solidarity with retired people and the country’s poorest and for the crisis that we are experiencing,” said Metro workers’ union assistant secretary Nestor Segovia.

Mr Milei has slashed subsidies, lifted price controls, scrapped government ministries and sacked more than 42,000 state workers. The spending cuts hit the population immediately, with a big portion of the government’s fiscal savings last year coming from social programmes and pensions.

Thursday’s general strike called on the government to boost spending on the gutted health and education sectors, reinstate sacked employees and reopen talks on wage rises, among other measures.