Argentine Rail Unions Call Off 44-Day Strike

Railway workers Thursday called off a wildcat strike that had disrupted Argentina’s train services for 44 days, the longest stoppage by state employees since President Carlos Saul Menem took office in July, 1989.

Train drivers and other workers of the state-owned Ferrocarriles Argentinos company decided to lift their protest to begin talks with the government on wages and the reinstatement of employees fired during the stoppage, union spokesmen said.

The Peronist government fired more than 4,000 strikers, closed four of the six main lines and organized a new urban railway company to try to break the stoppage for higher pay that began Feb. 13.