Members of labor unions in Argentina are expected to return to their jobs today after a 36-hour strike that caused some disruptions in Buenos Aires and beyond.  The strike exposed a rift in the Argentine labor movement, those that support President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) and those that oppose.

The work stoppage began on Wednesday afternoon and ran all day Thursday.  These factions of Argentina’s General Confederation of Labor (CGT) demanded higher pay, lower taxes for workers, and more government assistance for people who lost their jobs in Argentina’s weak economy.

Both consumer spending and industrial output fell in the second quarter, while unemployment is up.  Inflation is crushing working families, as consumer prices rose by 38 percent from August 2013 to August 2014.

Most people knew about the strike and stayed home.  Taxis and buses ran, but were empty.  In Buenos Aires, goods went undelivered, and trash uncollected because truckers walked off.  Cabinet Chief Jorge Capitanich said only about 25 percent of workers took part in the strike.  But CGT leader Hugo Moyano – a fierce critic of CFK from the Left – said participation was up to 90 percent depending on the locale.