Overview
- The bus drivers’ union declared a state of alert covering the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and the interior, warning it will halt service at companies that miss full salary and mid‑year bonus payments by the fourth business day of December.
- Operators have floated paying the aguinaldo in six installments and wages in two tranches due to cash‑flow strain from subsidy delays, a plan the UTA has flatly rejected.
- UTA spokesperson Mario Caligari said that in every company that does not meet the deadline, service will be stopped, reinforcing the union’s company‑by‑company ultimatum.
- General secretary Roberto Fernández warned that the government will bear responsibility if fragmented payments force workers to strike.
- Industry data show a 43% year‑on‑year drop in bus subsidies through October 2025 and a 9.71% fare increase that did not boost operator income, with AAETA estimating a real unsubsidized fare of $1,713 versus a $1,092 technical tariff.