Santa Fe Water Workers Strike Over Job Cuts and Suspensions

Workers at Aguas Santafesinas, the water company serving the Santa Fe province in Argentina, have launched a 24-hour strike in protest against layoffs, arbitrary suspensions, and reductions in overtime pay. The strike, organized by the Obras Sanitarias union, will impact water service throughout the province, with no work crews or customer service available. The union claims these actions are detrimental to workers and have led to an inability to properly maintain water infrastructure. The government of Santa Fe has scheduled a hearing to discuss the planned restructuring of the company and a new tariff system to be implemented in the coming months. While the union is open to discussing restructuring, they criticize the lack of contract renewals for 2024 and the elimination of weekend work crews, which have significantly impacted worker wages.