Judge Renews Order and Threatens Fines
Federal administrative judge Martín Cormick has broadened the reasoning of an earlier ruling and given Javier Milei's government another five days to comply with a precautionary measure enforcing the University Financing Law. The order covers salary updates for university teaching and non-teaching staff and the restoration of student scholarships. Signed on the morning of the ruling, the decision responded to a government request to revoke the judge's September 22 order. As before, Cormick warned the national state that failure to comply would bring daily fines, known in judicial language as astreintes.[S1][S2][S3][S6]
The judge recalled that the precautionary measure, issued in December, became final after the Supreme Court rejected the government's last appeal on June 25. He rejected the government's arguments, citing the University Financing Law and noting that accumulated inflation between December 1, 2023, and June 2026, when the measure became final, reached 312.19%. The government had argued it was complying, pointing to a June wage agreement granting a 21.3% increase plus 3% in October, but the judge described this as partial compliance. He said it was not supported that the calculation of salary increases and updates for public university teaching and non-teaching staff had been made as the law requires, weighing the adjustment variables.[S1][S2][S3][S6]
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Scholarships and the Government's Position
The ruling also addressed Article 6 of Law 27.795, which requires the restoration of scholarship programs based on accumulated IPC variation and expressly mentions Progresar, Manuel Belgrano, Enfermería and others. The government maintained that the only scholarship covered by the law is the Manuel Belgrano scholarship. The judge found that the government admitted treating only one scholarship, and said the reported compliance did not cover what the precautionary measure required on this point. The government had told the court that increases granted since December 2023 totaled 226.8% for its reference period, while university unions reject that calculation and estimate the pending salary restoration exceeds 33%.[S2][S3][S6]
Strike and Next Steps
The judicial chapter has unfolded alongside a new 72-hour university strike that began on Wednesday at all national universities, with teaching and non-teaching staff demanding immediate application of the University Financing Law and a 33.4% salary restoration. The president of the National Interuniversity Council, Franco Bartolacci, rector of the National University of Rosario, called the decision forceful and well-founded. The CIN filed the lawsuit against the national state last year for failing to comply with the law. Expectations are that Judge Cormick may soon rule on the merits of the demand, which concerns the validity and full application of the congressional law against a Milei decree that promulgated it without applying it, arguing that funding sources were not specified.[S1][S2][S6]
