• 2025.10.22 (Wed)
  • All articles
  • LOGIN
  • JOIN
Global Economic Times
APEC2025KOREA가이드북
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
  • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Ko Yong-chul Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Cherry Garden Story
MENU
 
Home > People & Life

Argentinian Healthcare Workers, Social Organizations, and Pensioners Join Protests Against Milei Government's Austerity Measures

Global Economic Times Reporter / Updated : 2025-06-27 07:12:24
  • -
  • +
  • Print

 

Social organizations and healthcare professionals in Argentina have joined the weekly protests held by pensioners in front of the National Congress. Their demands for pension increases coincide with a 24-hour strike at a major national pediatric hospital, highlighting the escalating social tensions in the country.

These demonstrations are a direct response to the economic policies of the ultra-liberal President Javier Milei, with continuous street protests from various sectors demanding wage increases. While President Milei boasts about cutting fiscal spending and achieving a budget surplus, these policies have caused significant pain across society.

Pensioners' Cry: "A Struggle for Survival"

Alicia Toroija, a 78-year-old retiree, told AFP, "I retired a year ago, but I'm still getting the same salary as on the first day," revealing her current pension is $270 (approximately 370,000 KRW). According to the Elderly Rights Advocacy Group (Defensoría de la Tercera Edad), the basic cost of living for a pensioner is $1,000 per month (approximately 1,380,000 KRW). Toroija relies on her children's help to make ends meet and participates in protests every Wednesday, which starkly illustrates the severe economic hardship faced by Argentinian pensioners.

The Milei government has focused on controlling inflation, successfully reducing it from 211% in 2023 to 118% in 2024, and further to 1.5% in May 2025. Additionally, Argentina's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 5.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. However, these macroeconomic improvements are a result of massive fiscal austerity and cuts in public spending, leading to a decrease in purchasing power, especially for civil servants and pensioners who rely on the state pension system. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2025 rose to 7.9%, a 1.5 percentage point increase from the previous quarter, suggesting that economic growth is not evenly benefiting all segments of society.

Healthcare System in Crisis: "Best Healthcare, Worst Wages"

Healthcare professionals at Hospital Garrahan, a top-tier pediatric hospital in Buenos Aires, have also gone on strike demanding wage increases. After months of protests led by resident doctors, approximately 4,000 medical staff members at Garrahan Hospital joined the strike this Wednesday, amplifying their voices.

Banners held by the medical staff read, "Best healthcare, worst wages." The current monthly salary for resident doctors is around $600 (approximately 830,000 KRW), falling short of the average monthly cost of living for a four-person household, which is $1,000. These poor working conditions and low wages raise concerns about the potential collapse of Argentina's public healthcare system. Garrahan Hospital is a crucial medical institution where patients are referred from across Argentina and neighboring countries. It recently demonstrated high-level medical expertise by successfully performing in-utero surgery for fetal congenital malformations, resulting in a successful birth.

Government spokesperson Manuel Adorni criticized the strike in a press conference, accusing it of being orchestrated by "a small number of privileged union members" and claiming it was "disrupting and making it difficult" for Garrahan Hospital to provide care. However, the medical staff refute the government's accusations, stating their demands for fair wage increases and improved working conditions are legitimate and that the government's criticism ignores reality.

Rising Social Discontent: "The Shadow of Austerity"

In addition to the protests by pensioners and healthcare workers, several unions marched towards the 'Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation,' responsible for the downsizing and restructuring of state-owned enterprises, in downtown Buenos Aires this Wednesday. This demonstrates widespread opposition to the Milei government's massive cuts in state spending and privatization policies.

Social tensions in Argentina are intensifying as the Milei government's austerity measures directly impact the lives of ordinary citizens. While the government's goals of curbing inflation and achieving a budget surplus are important, the resulting increase in unemployment, decline in purchasing power, and deterioration of public services cast a deep shadow over Argentinian society. As the conflict between the government and protesters escalates, Argentina's socio-economic stability is being tested.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]

  • #NATO
  • #OTAN
  • #OECD
  • #G20
  • #globaleconomictimes
  • #Korea
  • #UNPEACEKOR
  • #micorea
  • #mykorea
  • #UN
  • #UNESCO
  • #nammidonganews
  • #sin
Global Economic Times Reporter
Global Economic Times Reporter
Reporter Page

Popular articles

  • The U-Turn in Divorce: South Korea Sees a Surge in 'Twilight Divorces' Amid Overall Decline

  • Seongbuk-gu’s Latin American Festival Concludes with Great Success

  • Still 'Human' in the Loop: Yale Study Downplays AI Job Shock

I like it
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Kakaotalk
  • LINE
  • BAND
  • NAVER
  • https://globaleconomictimes.kr/article/1065564687784131 Copy URL copied.
Comments >

Comments 0

Weekly Hot Issue

  • South Korea to Drastically Increase Domestic LNG Shipping Rate to 70%
  • 'Export Boom-Up Korea Week' Kicks Off as Nation Prepares to Host APEC
  • Japan Elects Ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as First Female Prime Minister: The 'Female Abe' Ascends
  • Trump Pressured Zelensky to 'Accept Russia's Demands or Be Destroyed,' Report from FT Reveals
  • Kering Sells Beauty Division to L'Oréal for €4 Billion Amid Gucci Slump 
  • NATO Deputy Secretary General Pledges to Strengthen Substantive Cooperation with South Korea, Including Defense Industry

Most Viewed

1
The Imminent Reality: Donald Trump's Unlikelihood for the Nobel Peace Prize as a Destroyer of International Order
2
Renewable Energy Covers 100% of Global Electricity Demand Growth in H1 2025, Marking a Turning Point in the Fossil Fuel Era
3
McDonald's 'Subtle Racism' Controversy: Korean American Denied Order After 70-Minute Wait
4
Early Winter Chill Grips South Korea as Seoraksan Sees First Snow
5
A Chemical Revolution, the Era of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Begins: 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
광고문의
임시1
임시3
임시2

Hot Issue

EU States Agree to Complete Phase-Out of Russian Gas by End of 2027

US Ships to be Built in South Korea: Washington Considers Easing Protective Maritime Laws for Alliance Shipbuilding Cooperation

South Korea to Drastically Increase Domestic LNG Shipping Rate to 70%

Japan Elects Ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as First Female Prime Minister: The 'Female Abe' Ascends

Let’s recycle the old blankets in Jeju Island’s closet instead of incinerating them.

Global Economic Times
korocamia@naver.com
CEO : LEE YEON-SIL
Publisher : KO YONG-CHUL
Registration number : Seoul, A55681
Registration Date : 2024-10-24
Youth Protection Manager: KO YONG-CHUL
Singapore Headquarters
5A Woodlands Road #11-34 The Tennery. S'677728
Korean Branch
Phone : +82(0)10 4724 5264
#304, 6 Nonhyeon-ro 111-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Copyright © Global Economic Times All Rights Reserved
  • 에이펙2025
  • APEC2025가이드북TV
  • 세종시
Search
Category
  • All articles
  • Synthesis
  • World
  • Business
  • Industry
  • ICT
  • Distribution Economy
  • Korean Wave News
  • Opinion
  • Arts&Culture
  • Sports
  • People & Life
  • Lee Yeon-sil Column
  • Ko Yong-chul Column
  • Photo News
  • New Book Guide
  • Cherry Garden Story
  • Multicultural News
  • Jobs & Workers
  • APEC 2025 KOREA GUIDE