Public transportation in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) faced one of the most tense crises of the year on Thursday. The Automobile Tramway Union (UTA) has ratified its warning: If by midnight on December 5 workers have not received the full salary for November and the corresponding half bonus for December, Tomorrow is Friday Buses will not be circulated On lines where non-compliance persists.
“We are not willing to finance corporate debt with our salaries.”Mario Calligari, union spokesman, made the announcement in an interview with the media in Buenos Aires. The leader was categorical about the union’s position and supported current legislation that stipulates that the fourth working day is the maximum period for disbursing monthly salaries.
However, from UTA they trusted Historian “The vast majority of companies have agreed, so the panorama is completely under control. With the exception of some specific companies, the vast majority will work tomorrow (Friday) without a problem. This is due to the publication of the support amendment that was made today.”
Mass strike: companies without money, workers without pay
The crisis arises from a complex economic scenario, where a large part of transport companies assert that they do not have sufficient funds to meet their payroll obligations. The five business chambers in the sector –eta, CEAP, Setuba, CTPBA and ciotoba— Weeks ago they sent a joint letter to the transport ministers (Louis Perini) and work (Julio Cordero) warning of a situation they describe as embarrassing.
The companies proposed disbursing November salaries in two tranches and dividing the bonus into six installments, due to the delay in national support transfers. For UTA, this scheme is unacceptable. It represents transferring the economic crisis directly into the pockets of workers, who have already lost their purchasing power for months.
AMBA’s starting driver base salary was set at $1,140,000 as of NovemberThis is according to the joint agreement signed in October 2025. By December, the amount will reach $1,160,000, and in January 2025 it will reach $1,200,000. These values arose from the round-the-clock negotiations that led to a strike being averted in the last week of October, when UTA had already warned of tough action if salary restructuring in the face of accumulating inflation was not recognised.
Government response: More support around the clock
In an attempt to defuse the conflict, the National Government published on Thursday 4 December in the Official Gazette Resolution No. 86/2025, approving a new matrix of costs and tariff compensation for AMBA urban and suburban bus companies.
The update covers the periods of November and December 2025, and states that this latest calculation will be applicable for subsequent months until a new matrix is approved. In the regulations, the Ministry of Transport has updated various components of the operating cost: salaries (including basic salaries for drivers, travel expenses and incentive bonuses in the Greater La Plata area), the price of diesel with tax burden, supplies and services, the value of the vehicle fleet (chassis and bodies) and the cost of civil liability insurance policies.
National and regional subsidies for November amount to more than 185 billion pesos, of which about 77 billion are contributed by the Province of Buenos Aires. The decision also makes official the December amounts, which are only 0.02% higher than those recorded in November.
According to official sources, this infusion of funds will allow “normalization of payments” to workers, as companies will have additional resources to meet their obligations. However, this measure has reached the legal limit, which has generated a state of mistrust both within the union and among the drivers themselves.
UTA: “If the money shows up, we go out to work.”
Mario Caligari was clear about the scenario for this Friday: “I don’t know if I will get my salary. If it is deposited at night, we will work. If not, there will be holding tasks while being present at the respective companies until the payment appears.”
The commander distinguished between maintaining tasks and an official strike. In the first case, workers come to their companies, but do not provide the service until after completing the bank accreditation. It is a strategy that the UAW has already used in previous conflicts and allows for continued pressure without formally violating the mandatory reconciliation imposed by the Labor Department in October.
The force measure will affect all AMBA lines operating under national, Buenos Aires City or provincial jurisdiction. Among the lines that can become paralyzed are the following: 4, 6, 7, 12, 23, 25, 26, 34, 39, 42, 44, 47, 50, 61, 62, 64, 65, 68, 76, 84, 90, 99, 102, 106, 107, 108, 109, 115, 118, 132 and 151among many other companies providing service in the urban agglomeration.