Subway lines may halt service, City and much of the country set to be paralized by strike

24-hour strike called by CTA umbrella union



The city and much of the country is set to be paralyzed today due to a strike called in protests to the death of 23-year old Mariano Ferreyra, who was shot in the chest and killed yesterday during a violent confrontation between railroad workers and members of the leftist Worker's Party (Partido Obrero). Subway lines may go on strike later in the day.

Subway and railroad union workers are currently taking measures to repudiate the murder of Pablo Ferreyra.

According to subway authorities, turnstiles are to be released after 3 pm, allowing for the free entry of passengers onto subway cars, although B Line spokesman Claudio Dellecarbonara said it was "very likely" all subway lines would go on strike.

"We will make the announcement sometime in the morning," he said.

At the same time, railroad union workers will interrupt the Roca train line service at the Avellaneda station.

LAN airlines workers will also go on strike after noon, for which no LAN flights will be leaving from the Aeroparque Metropolitan Airport.

The Panamericana remained blocked by activists for over three hours this morning, who were protesting the young man's death.

A few minutes after 6 am, Kraft workers completely blocked the Panamericana in the General Pacheco area to protest the murder. Activists decided to lift the roadblock moments after 9:30 am.

However this was only the first protest of the day, since many more roadblocks and pickets are going to take place across the city and the Buenos Aires province.

The CTA Argentine Central Workers' umbrella unión also called for all unions to join a 24-hour strike and a march to the Plaza de Mayo in protest of the incidents.

"Due to the actions of the railworkers union, who in collusion with the Federal Police, attacked a demonstration of outsourced workers with firearms and killed Mariano Ferreyra, the CTA has decided to call a nationwide strike and a march to the Plaza de Mayo."

The umbrella union said they intend to find those "directly responsible" for the murder and repeated that the march would begin at the intersection of Corrientes and Callao.

CTA leader Hugo Yasky insisted on the need to find the perpetrators of the crime, and said that nobody "should be looking the other way."

"There can't be any impunity," he said, and closed by stating that somebody "has to put a stop to union thugs."

Mr. Fernández also reacted to yesterday's accusations by City Mayor Mauricio

Macri, who blamed him for not intervening and stopping the clash in time.

"This is a generous country. The mayor is indicted over accusations of being involved in an illegal wiretappings case and he shouldn't even be in office," he said.

He blasted him for "having the nerve to point fingers at other government officials as if he were the most pristine of politicians, when his administrations is a total failure."

Source:
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/48816