The national government imposed a record fine of $21,241,500,000 to the La Fraternidad railway union, led by Omar Maturano, for failing to comply with the mandatory conciliation issued during the wage dispute and joining the last general strike of the CGT, held on February 19.
The sanction was ordered by the Ministry of Human Capital, headed by Sandra Pettovello, after verifying that the union disobeyed the official order demanding to reverse the conflict, suspend measures of force and guarantee the continuity of the railway service. According to the national portfolio, the union's conduct affected the normal development of the activity and harmed the general interest
. The Ministry of Human Capital issued the sanction to the railway workers' union.
Compulsory conciliation was established on February 5, 2026 for a period of 15 days, within the framework of Law 14,786, which requires both unions and employers to refrain from taking direct measures for the duration of the procedure. For the Government, the Fraternity violated that provision by joining the general strike of the CGT and paralyzing the
train service.
Human Capital noted that the violation was categorized as “very serious”, after a summary investigation in which, according to the Ministry, the right of defense and the presentation of evidence were guaranteed by the union. The Secretary of Labor, led by Julio Cordero, verified the non-compliance and moved forward with the
corresponding administrative process.
The decision marks a strong precedent in the relationship between the Government of Javier Milei and the toughest unions, especially those aligned with the CGT and with an openly opposing position to the official reform program.
Excerpt from the press release issued by Capital Humano.
Maturano's answer was not long in coming. The head of The Fraternity announced that they will discuss the sanction with their lawyers and that they will probably go to justice, considering that the fine is poorly applied. In addition, he issued a direct threat: “We will go on a strike for an indefinite period.”
The precedent could escalate even further. According to the information released, the Government is also preparing a sanction against the Automotive Tram Union (UTA), which could amount to around $70 billion, for a similar alleged non-compliance during the
