University professors in Argentina have launched a national strike to protest salaries that have fallen below the poverty line [1].
The labor action threatens the stability of the country's public higher education system, which includes major institutions such as the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the National University of Córdoba (UNC), and the National University of La Plata (UNLP) [4].
Representatives from CONADU Histórica and the National Federation of Teachers said the strike is a response to a severe funding crisis. Antonio Rosello, a leader with CONADU Histórica, said 70% of university professors now receive salaries below the poverty line [1].
The financial decline has accelerated since the start of Javier Milei's administration. The National Federation of Teachers said that real wages for university educators have dropped by 34% since Milei took office [2].
Protests began as early as March 30, 2024, with strikes continuing through April 2024 as educators demanded the application of the Financing Law and urgent salary improvements [3]. While some reports suggest the government has remained unmoved by the protests, the scale of the economic decline has pushed unions and university rectors to issue new warnings [3].
According to representatives from teaching unions and university rectors, the start of classes for 2026 is now at risk [5]. The educators continue to demand a funding model that prevents the further erosion of academic salaries, a situation they say makes it impossible to maintain professional standards in public universities [2].
“70% of university professors now receive salaries below the poverty line”
The ongoing conflict reflects a broader clash between the austerity measures of the Milei administration and the traditional funding model of Argentina's public universities. By linking current salary collapses to the risk of the 2026 academic year, educators are signaling that the crisis has evolved from a temporary wage dispute into a systemic threat to the viability of public higher education.
