CTERA and unions aligned with the CGT announced a national strike for March 2 and threatened to extend the measures
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The start of the 2026 school year has been shrouded in uncertainty after the announcement of a nationwide teachers' strike called for March 2.
The measure was defined by the Confederation of Education Workers of the Argentine Republic (CTERA) at an extraordinary congress and could affect the normal start of classes in different provinces of the country.
From the union led by Sonia Alesso, they maintain that the decision responds to the lack of a call to the National Teachers' Collective Bargaining and to the demand for a salary adjustment that exceeds inflation.
They also demand a new Educational Financing Law and the reinstatement of the National Teacher Incentive Fund (FONID).
Los gremios docentes vuelven a dejar a los chicos sin clases
However, the announcement is not limited to a single day of protest. The action plan includes demonstrations, campouts, and caravans throughout the month of March, in what anticipates a prolonged conflict that threatens to directly impact millions of families.
In parallel, education unions linked to the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), such as the Unión Docentes Argentinos (UDA) and the Confederación de Educadores Argentinos (CEA), warned that "the start of classes is at risk" if the national government doesn't urgently call for collective bargaining.
The head of UDA, Sergio Romero, together with the CEA leader, Fabián Felman, emphasized the "serious budgetary situation" that the sector is going through and anticipated that the conflict could deepen.
Los docentes dicen estar del lado de la educación pero dejan a medio país sin clases
From the unions, they maintain that public education is facing a strong adjustment and that the national government has washed its hands of previous commitments in terms of financing. Nevertheless, critical sectors question that, once again, the tool chosen is a strike at the start of the school calendar, affecting students and parents who depend on the education system to organize their working lives.
Rejection of the Educational Freedom Law
During the CTERA congress there was also an expression of rejection of the Educational Freedom Law bill promoted by Javier Milei's government, which they accuse of promoting structural changes in the system.
From the ruling party, in contrast, they maintain that the initiative aims to expand options and improve educational quality, in a context where learning indicators have shown sustained setbacks for years.
The political backdrop of the conflict is unavoidable. While the government is pushing structural reforms and fiscal reordering, the teachers' unions are stepping up the pressure with forceful measures that threaten to paralyze the start of classes.
Who is affected by the March 2 strike?
The measure would mainly impact public schools throughout the country, although adherence will vary depending on the province and the strength of each local union.
In many districts, March 2 was planned as the formal start of the 2026 school year, so the strike could postpone the return to classrooms.
If there is no call to collective bargaining in the coming days, the conflict could be extended with new days of protest during March.
