(Bloomberg) -- Labor unions went on strike in Argentina on Tuesday, shutting down public transportation in the nation's capital and forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled.
Dozens of bus lines, which are privately owned in Buenos Aires, participated in the protest that's scheduled to last one day. The subway was closed. A spokesman for Aerolineas Argentinas said 350 flights were canceled due to the strike, affecting 22,000 passengers.
Workers are protesting the austerity measures that President Mauricio Macri is implementing to comply with the terms of a record $56 billion credit line from the International Monetary Fund. Macri, who faces re-election this year, needs the support of the fund to appease financial markets and avoid another currency crisis in the country.
The removal of government subsidies has led to significant increases in bus fares and utility bills. Despite a recession, Argentina's inflation is now running at more than 55 percent per year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Gillespie in Buenos Aires at pgillespie29@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Carolina Millan at cmillanronch@bloomberg.net, Walter Brandimarte
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