BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Trains in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires came to a standstill on Thursday, doubling passenger journey times, according to union railway workers who staged an unusual protest demanding better wages after talks with company officials failed to resolve the situation.
The railway workers’ union La Fraternidad (the Brotherhood) said it had decided to call off the strike and slow trains to just 30 kilometers per hour after wage negotiations collapsed with Trenes Argentinos, the state-owned company that oversees the rail network. annual inflation is approaching 300%.
Workers are seeking wage increases to offset rising costs of living, the union said. The measure caused major delays for passengers living throughout the capital.
“People who have to switch between train and bus will lose their attendance bonus today,” said teacher Segundo Acuna, who usually commutes by train. “Their lives are going to be complicated.”
Other passengers said they appreciated that the trains would continue to run – although the union has warned of a nationwide 24-hour shutdown if an agreement is not reached by June 4.
“I think it is better than other measures where you cannot travel,” said analyst Gabriela Fanego, who also commutes by train. “In any case, they give you the option to continue traveling and you do not have to choose another means of transport.”
The protest took place on both passenger and freight lines.
In addition to a wage increase in line with inflation, workers are also demanding greater investment and safety after a passenger train crashed into an empty rail car in Buenos Aires early this month, injuring dozens.
Government authorities summoned Trenes Argentinos and the union on June 6 to try to reach an agreement.
(Reporting by Horacio Soria and Juan Bustamante; Writing by Lucila Sigal and Sarah Morland; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
