Bus drivers across Argentina have launched a 24-hour strike after last-ditch negotiations collapsed on Monday. 

The strike, which started at midnight, means many short and medium-distance buses have come grinding to a halt. Bus lines operated by the companies Metropol and Dota are not joining the strike, and will still run.

In a statement confirming the strike, the Automotive and Tramway Workers’ Union (UTA, by its Spanish initials) said: “We have taken part in weeks of meetings without even receiving reasonable offers from the business chambers. For that reason, if the national government wants to have the lowest fares in the country, it should know that it won’t do so with transport workers’ salaries.”

The Transport Secretariat called the strike “extortive” and accused the UTA of “taking passengers hostage” as it sought pay rises of 40%.

UTA denied that it was seeking a 40% raise, saying instead that drivers wanted “dignified salaries in line with inflation.”

How can I travel during the bus strike?

The following bus lines, which are operated by the companies Metropol, Dota, and Misión Buenos Aires, will continue to run during the strike: 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 44, 50, 51, 56, 57, 60, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 84, 87, 91, 98, 99, 100, 101, 106, 107, 108, 111, 115, 117, 127, 128, 130, 134, 135, 146, 150, 158, 161, 164, 168, 177, 188, 65, 90, 136, 151, 163, 176, 182, 194, 195, 61, 62, 114, 129, 143

In Buenos Aires Province, the following lines will be operating: 256, 263, 271, 299, 370, 384, 385, 388, 403, 405, 429, 435, 228, 365, 326, 386, 327, 336, 392, 322, 237, 276, 310, 448. 

The strike does not affect the Buenos Aires Subte or the train system. 

Taxis and ride hailing services will continue to operate, but there will be greater demand than usual, so travelers are advised to leave some extra time for their trips.

Buenos Aires City government announced that during the strike, it would let drivers to park in areas where it is usually banned between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., although parking will not be allowed in areas where it is forbidden around the clock. Parking in metered areas will also be allowed for free.

Why are bus drivers striking now?

The cause of the strike is an ongoing dispute between the UTA and the Federation of Automotive Passenger Transporters (FATAP) employers’ association, who decide workers’ pay. 
The meeting between both parties is overseen by the government. On March 7, the Labor Secretariat required the parties to return to the negotiating table, in a process known as conciliación obligatoria (mandatory settlement), which can last up to 20 days. The UTA did not participate in the April 10 general strike because of this.