Argentina’s public universities ground to a halt on Wednesday as the National Confederation of University Professors (CONADU) launched a 48-hour nationwide strike, demanding the Milei government implement a financing law that Congress ratified and the Supreme Court upheld.
The walkout, which began on August 27 and was set to continue through August 28, marks the latest escalation in a dispute that has dragged on for more than 300 days. Unions representing professors and university workers accuse the administration of President Javier Milei of systematically ignoring both legislative mandates and judicial orders to fund the country’s public university system.
The strike was backed by the Association of University Teaching Staff of the University of Buenos Aires (FEDUBA), one of the most influential academic unions in the country. Classes, research activities, and administrative services were suspended at public universities across Argentina during the protest.
The Financing Law Dispute
At the heart of the conflict is the University Financing Law, which Congress passed and later ratified after Milei vetoed the original legislation. The law requires automatic salary adjustments for inflation since December 2023 and mandates specific funding levels for public universities, including student scholarships and operational budgets.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that upheld preliminary injunctions requiring the government to implement the law, the Milei administration has not complied. Unions say the government’s most recent salary offer of a 24.3 percent increase, negotiated directly with university rectors, falls far short of what the law demands.
According to CONADU, the law would require salary increases of more than 50 percent to restore the purchasing power that university workers have lost since December 2023. The unions estimate that real wages in the sector have fallen by nearly 30 percent during Milei’s presidency.
Purchasing Power Crisis
The loss of purchasing power hits hardest among professors working under the most common employment arrangements. Those classified as Simple Dedications, working 10 hours per week, and Semi-Exclusive Dedications, working 20 hours per week, have seen their real incomes erode most severely.
Unions warn that the financial pressure is driving an exodus of qualified professors and researchers with graduate degrees. Many are moving to the private sector or leaving the country entirely, threatening the quality of Argentina’s education system and its scientific production capacity.
The Milei administration has been in noncompliance with the University Funding Law for more than 300 days. The Supreme Court upheld the preliminary injunctions requiring the Argentine government to implement the law and update salaries and student scholarships.
The loss of talent is particularly concerning given Argentina’s historically strong public university system, which has produced numerous Nobel laureates and remains a cornerstone of the country’s intellectual infrastructure.
Escalating Protest Timeline
The August 27-28 strike is part of a pattern of escalating protests by Argentina’s university community. On August 12, professors held a 24-hour national strike over the same funding disputes. Earlier in the month, the national teachers’ union CTERA organized a separate 24-hour strike on August 3 demanding salary negotiations and the restoration of education funding.
Unions have warned that they will intensify their actions if the Milei administration does not offer concrete responses to their demands. A march in defense of public universities is planned for September.
The conflict has drawn broader political attention, with opposition figures citing the university crisis as evidence of the Milei government’s austerity policies gone too far. The government, for its part, has framed its approach as necessary fiscal discipline.
Broader Context
The university strike comes against a backdrop of widening labor unrest in Argentina. Teachers across the country staged a nationwide strike on August 3, accusing the government of refusing to resume salary negotiations and restore education funding. The protests coincide with a period in which Argentines rank household income as their top concern, according to recent polling.
Milei, who confirmed over the weekend that he intends to seek re-election in 2027, faces growing dissatisfaction with his government’s economic performance. While his administration points to lower inflation and a stabilized exchange rate, surveys show that 54.5 percent of respondents prefer a change in government. Economic concerns dominate the dissatisfaction, with 68.3 percent of respondents in one poll saying their economic situation has worsened.
The university funding dispute adds another dimension to the political challenges facing Milei’s administration. As the October 2026 legislative elections approach and the 2027 presidential race takes shape, the government’s handling of public education could become a significant liability.
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