Service on underground Line C in Buenos Aires was halted Monday after the subway workers union declared a sudden strike [1].
The disruption affects thousands of commuters in Argentina's capital and highlights a growing conflict between labor unions and transit operators over workplace safety standards.
The Asociación Gremial de Trabajadores del Subte y Premetro (AGTSyP) initiated the "medida de fuerza" starting at 6 p.m. the previous evening [2]. The union represents subway workers and is currently in a dispute with Metrovías and the operator Emova [1].
Union leaders said the strike was prompted by the employer's failure to comply with health and safety commitments. Specifically, the AGTSyP cited the presence of asbestos in train cars as a primary concern [3].
"La empresa Emova no cumple con el acuerdo firmado en el acta del 31 de mayo," representatives of the metrodelegados said [3]. This indicates that the strike followed a breakdown in a recently signed agreement intended to address environmental and occupational hazards.
AGTSyP said the new measure was taken due to "incumplimientos vinculados a la salud laboral y la seguridad ambiental" [4]. While some reports mentioned an aggression against a driver at Constitución station, the union's formal position emphasizes the failure to honor safety agreements [3, 5].
The interruption began on June 1, 2024 [3]. The strike remains a critical point of tension as workers demand the removal of hazardous materials from the fleet to ensure a safe working environment, a move they say is long overdue.
“The strike is a protest over the presence of asbestos in train cars.”
This strike underscores a systemic conflict regarding infrastructure decay and occupational health in Buenos Aires' public transit. By linking the stoppage to asbestos removal, the union is shifting the narrative from simple wage disputes to a matter of public and worker health, placing significant pressure on the operator to invest in fleet modernization.
