Buenos Aires, March 17 (RHC-teleSUR) -- Thousands of teachers in the Argentinean province of Buenos Aires have vowed to continue their strike during a massive protest in the provincial capital of La Plata.

The demonstration — which was joined by health care workers and social movement organizations — marked the eighth day of walkouts by education workers in the province and a local continuation of a multi-day national teachers' strike last week.

Members of the Union of Education Workers, or Suteba, and the Teachers' Union of Buenos Aires, or Udocba, also vowed to continue their strike in spite of the efforts by Governor Maria Vidal — known as the "Margaret Thatcher of Argentina" — to divide workers.

Earlier this week, Vidal vowed to levy fines against striking workers while promising salary bonuses to those workers who do not participate in the job action.

Representatives from Argentina's largest labor federation have called for a national general strike for April 6.