Argentina truckers gridlock traffic to protest Macri reforms
Updated 4:11 pm, Wednesday, February 21, 2018
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) Tens of thousands of Argentines joined a demonstration on Wednesday organized by truckers and other labor unions in the first major protest so far this year against President Mauricio Macri's austerity measures.
Argentines continue to lose purchasing power to a high inflation rate and many are frustrated with layoffs, increases in fuel and transportation costs and the slashing of subsidies for utilities.
Macri, a conservative, came into power in 2015 promising to cut government spending. He says the measures are necessary to attract foreign investment and boost Argentina's economy. But he has faced labor unrest.
Bank workers recently staged a strike to demand higher salaries amid galloping consumer prices, and the government struggled to contain violent protests in December over a pension overhaul that triggered a general strike by labor unions.
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https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Argentina-truckers-gridlock-traffic-to-protest-12631174.php