In Argentina, protests erupt amid the passage of labor reform
Protests erupted outside Argentina’s Congress on Wednesday while lawmakers debated major reforms to the country’s labor laws.
Demonstrations turned violent as security deployed water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas while protestors threw petrol bombs, stones and water bottles. Members of trade unions and opposition groups blocked traffic and clashed with police, and over 20 individuals were arrested, many accused of violence against police officers.
“It’s not modernisation,” the General Confederation of Labour, a trade union branch and one of the demonstration’s organizers, said in a statement. “It’s austerity for the workers.”
The bill — approved by the senate Thursday morning in a 42-30 vote — would restrict workers’ right to strike, make it easier for companies to fire employees deemed unproductive, limit the power of national trade unions and reduce severance pay. Now moved to a vote in the Chamber of Deputies, the proposed policies serve as the next step in libertarian President Javier Milei’s shock economics, which also include cutting energy and transportation subsidies, government layoffs, pausing public infrastructure projects and freezing wages.
The opposition led by the Peronists struggled in the midterms last year after allegations of corruption and cronyism damaged their reputation. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to rescind his $40 billion in pledged support for Milei if Argentina’s left-leaning populists won.
In Hong Kong, media mogul is sentenced 20 years under sedition charges
Media tycoon and U.K. citizen Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for sedition and conspiracy plotting with a foreign government under the country’s national security law.
The NSL, adopted by China in 2020 amid heavy pro-democracy protests, outlaws any secessionary acts, such as undermining the authority of the central government, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. These crimes can carry sentences up to life in prison.
Lai’s media outlet Apple Daily, which has criticized mainland China’s leadership and praised Trump in return, shut down in 2021 after police raided its offices and arrested seven former staff members.
Sebastien Lai, son of the 78 year-old, said he is hoping that China will release his father early as a courtesy to the United Kingdom and United States since Trump planned visit to China in April.
“There’s no upside in what China is doing to dad and there are very real consequences if he dies in there,” Sebastien told ABC news. “That April visit is key.”
U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Jimmy Lai should be freed in Hong Kong “on humanitarian grounds.” David Perdue, U.S. ambassador to China stated in the past that Lai’s case is part of “ongoing discussions” with China after Trump had already asked President Xi Jinping to consider releasing Lai.
In Spain, 3-day rail worker strike is called off
Rail workers in Spain ended a national strike two days early after reaching a deal with the government to increase investment and staffing, following a fatal Adamuz train crash last month.
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainability said the government plans to invest $2.15 billion in railroad maintenance through 2030 while hiring 3,650 additional staff members. Additional reforms include updating the system that tracks the number of hours worked by train drivers and increasing the number of vehicles used to maintain the tracks. Protests lasted just a few hours on Monday, though originally scheduled to last until Wednesday.
Workers’ Commissions and the General Union of Workers — two of the country’s largest trade unions — alerted their members that the strike was canceled after the ministry’s announcement, while the CCOO said it would make sure to monitor the proper rollout of the promised increased safety measures.
Renfe, Spain’s state-owned railway company, said customers whose trains were affected by the strike could cancel or reschedule at no additional charge.
“This is my third cancellation. I hope the train I’m booked on, which is supposed to leave in an hour, will actually depart,” 52-year-old French commuter François Monti told Reuters. “But I understand the safety situation is complicated, so I understand the train drivers.”
Contact Justin Yen at [email protected].