Argentine workers hold ‘funeral’ for minimum wage

Left-wing social organisations held a demonstration in downtown Buenos Aires where they “mourned and buried” the Argentinean minimum wage. The demonstrators marched in procession along the central avenue that connects the Government Palace to the Ministry of Labour in the Argentinean capital. A group of women carried the coffin while others brought mourning wreaths to perform the rituals. The minimum wage reached 47,850 Argentine pesos, or about $340 on the official market and about $160 on the informal market. According to official figures, inflation in July was 7.4%, while the year-on-year base rate climbed to 71%, making Argentina one of the highest inflation countries in the world. In recent weeks, social movements have urged the Workers’ Central to call a general strike.