Bus drivers for Line 148 have suspended service in the southern metropolitan area of Buenos Aires following a recurring labor dispute.
The strike disrupts essential transit for thousands of commuters in the Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (AMBA), highlighting the volatility of public transportation infrastructure in the region.
The current service interruption occurred 10 days [2] after drivers had previously resumed their routes. Some reports indicate the stoppage began less than two weeks [1] after the service had returned to operation. The conflict has left seven branches [4] of the line inactive.
Drivers are striking to demand payment for overdue wages and to resolve issues regarding the bus terminals. The labor dispute has escalated into a public confrontation between the workers and the operating company, Misión Buenos Aires.
Misión Buenos Aires has accused the drivers of attempting to "destruir los colectivos" [5] — or destroy the buses. The company said the workers are targeting "las herramientas de trabajo posibles" [5] as part of the conflict.
The instability of the service has been marked by multiple episodes of strikes. One such disruption occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 11 [3]. Workers said they returned to the strike "a diez días de haber reanudado su recorrido" [2] due to the unresolved nature of their grievances.
While the drivers focus on financial compensation and operational conditions, the company maintains that the drivers are intentionally damaging the fleet. This contradiction underscores a deep breakdown in negotiations between the union representatives and the corporate management of the line.
“"destruir los colectivos"”
The recurring nature of the Line 148 strikes suggests a systemic failure in the contractual relationship between Misión Buenos Aires and its workforce. When labor disputes move beyond wage negotiations to accusations of equipment sabotage, it indicates a high level of distrust that may require government intervention to restore stable public transit in the southern AMBA region.
