Teachers in Buenos Aires province will not begin the 2026 school year on March 2, after rejecting a 3% pay increase offer from the provincial government. The decision, made during an extraordinary congress of the FEB (Federation of Buenos Aires Educators), reflects widespread dissatisfaction with the proposed wage adjustment. This labor dispute adds to growing unrest among public sector workers in the region.
“The FEB Congress resolved moments ago to grant the Directing Council the authority to define the steps to follow in the face of a new offer and determined 24 hours of strike action,” the federation said in a statement. The move escalates tensions between educators and the administration of Governor Axel Kicillof.
State workers’ unions as well rejected the 3% offer on February 12, and judicial workers have since joined them in opposition.
FEB Explains Reasons for Strike
“After different mechanisms of consultation with the rank and file, the Congress today expressed the disagreement that exists among teachers with an offer that does not manage to recompose our salaries and that finally materialized in a unanimous rejection,” said FEB President Liliana Olivera, explaining that “the Congress also authorized the Directing Council to carry out different union actions.”
Olivera asserted that “this new proposal of a 3% increase for the month of February is not enough to cover the salary loss we have been suffering in the sector,” adding that “a newly initiated Grade Teacher, with this proposal, would see an increase in their net salary of $22,188.”
Union representatives also cited ongoing issues with the IOMA healthcare system in various districts, causing significant discontent among teachers. Olivera also recalled that they have been requesting the national government for months to return the Teacher Incentive Fund, which she said represented a significant loss for educators’ salaries.
Complicated Wage Negotiations
As previously reported, wage negotiations in Buenos Aires province have become complicated as unions across different sectors have rejected the province’s 3% increase offer, to be reflected in February paychecks. While the offer improved by 1 percentage point from the previous week, it failed to convince the unions.
In the case of teachers, the offer was similar, but no explicit rejection was initially voiced as unions took the new proposal for immediate analysis. However, during the FEB congress, the first dissenting voice emerged with the announcement of the strike and a decision not to begin classes. This same sector, which is part of the Front for Unity of Buenos Aires Educators, had not accepted the January proposal of a 4.5 percent increase.
the possibility of classes not starting on time in the province on March 2 has become increasingly likely. There is even speculation that the national CTERA union could order a nationwide strike in protest against the government of Javier Milei. If confirmed, Buenos Aires unions would also join that protest.
Negotiations with State Workers
State employees represented by UPCN, Fegeppba, and ATE outright rejected the increase, as it translates to a practical net improvement of only 1.5 percent compared to January. What we have is because workers will no longer receive the retroactive payment they received last month, which amounted to approximately 1.5 percent of their December earnings.
The government of Axel Kicillof had previously increased January salaries by 4.5 percent, with 1.5 percent applied retroactively to December. The new proposal included maintaining the retroactive percentage and adding another 1.5 percent.
State unions rejected the offer without even analyzing it, having hoped for an increase closer to 4.5 percent, taking into account the 2.9 percent inflation reported by INDEC for January plus the 1.5 percent retroactive payment. However, the official offer fell short of that expectation.
Given the union rejection and the upcoming payroll processing, it remains uncertain whether the offer will be improved. Several union sources who participated in virtual meetings with officials said that government representatives indicated that the province’s difficult financial situation makes it very difficult to exceed the proposed 3 percent. Faced with this scenario, the government could impose the increase by decree, even without union agreement.
UPCN has requested that the proposal be improved, but that if no agreement is reached, at least the 1.5 percent retroactive payment from December be paid “so that salaries are not reduced.”
Fegeppba, for its part, requested that the Executive “re-evaluate the offer made and make a greater budgetary effort, improving the proposed percentage as soon as possible, with the aim of reaching an agreement that realistically considers the needs of state workers.”
The situation surrounding wage discussions in the province has become increasingly complicated. One of the most palpable effects is the announcement made this Friday by a teachers’ union: the non-start of classes as scheduled.
