The daily counter of reforms, the saw and the image of the organizational chart shared by President Javier Miley and Minister Federico Sturzenegger are part of the ruling party’s symbolic speech. However, the abolition of 2,500 public jobs per month is one of the most prominent decisions related to the features of the country that It seeks to print libertarian management.
According to a survey conducted by the President of the Argentine Institute of Financial Analysis (YARAF), Nadine Arganiyaraz, from December 2023 to October this year, the size of public administration and state enterprises has been reduced by 17%. The report is based on figures released by Indec.
This percentage can also be translated into a decrease in the number of public employees by 58,903. This total, spread over 23 months, results in a reduction of 2,561 per month. “Of the total decline, centralized management represented 26%, decentralized management 33%, and businesses and communities 34%, among the most relevant,” the report describes.
The central administration focused the bulk of the amendment on public employment. The reduction amounts to a total of 15,519 jobsAccording to the Irav report.
Indec’s numbers reflect that public companies have followed suit. First, the post office, whose cuts amount to 5,155 jobs. Its plant went from 16,897 employees to 11,742 employees.
Operadora Ferroviaria, the largest public company in the state train holding company, cut 3,353 jobs, according to official reports. It went from a factory of 23,812 plants to a factory of 20,459 plants.
The Customs Collection and Control Agency (ARCA) was very close to retrenching at the railway company, with its factory losing 3,220 jobs. When it was still called AFIP it had 22,199 posts and in October 18,979.
The Arganiaras document did not stop only at the most affected areas, but also highlighted the pace of displacement: “Every month there was a decrease compared to the previous month.”
As reported by LA NACION, the government does not intend to leave this behind and is preparing new cuts for the second half of Miley’s term. At Casa Rosada they indicated that the next “deflation” of the country could reach 10%.
Among the targeted organizations are the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Indec, Conicet, Coneau, ARCA, the General Archive of the Nation, Anses, Conadis, Enargas, Enre, Inta, Inti and Enacom.
In return, the government seeks to encourage the privatization of public companies approved in the Basic Law. Among them: Intercargo, Enarsa, Nucleoelétrica, Río Turbio Carboniferous Deposis., Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos SA, Belgrano Cargas y Logística, rail and road corridor operator. This would also accelerate the second phase of cuts.
Beyond the layoffs, the Public Information District is also evaluating the possibility of new voluntary retirements. Although an exact number has not been given, the number of employees between public television and national radio is about 2,500 people and at Casa Rosada they are convinced that they can work with less.