Given the difficulties in reaching a joint agreement that updates the salaries of steel workers (some of whom maintain the values of November 2023), the Villa Constitución section of the Metallurgical Workers Union (UOM) announced a indefinite strike for the Acindar plant that operates in said city.
The measure of force was announced by the union representatives this Thursday “in the face of the intransigence of the company that cynically follows Techint’s rulings and keeps steelworkers on November salaries“. They also stressed that the situation of workers in the sector became unsustainable due to “the delay in negotiations with no prospect of resolution” for the daily problems raised by inflation.
In turn, they denounced a series of discounts supposedly made by the company on the receipts of operators who did not work during days after the storm because, as they argued, minimum safety conditions were not guaranteed.
“The company fully settled what it wanted in this last receipt, going so far as to discount days in which after the storm there were no safe conditions to operate“, they recorded.
After calling him “ignorant,” López Obrador responded to Milei: “Argentines voted for someone who despises the people”
“It is for all this that we have decided to declare active unemployment for an indefinite period starting on 04/11/2024”announced the Villa Constitución section of the UOM.
On the other hand, they warned of a serious panorama that could include massive layoffs and “forced restructuring”.
“In the negotiations we have had these days they only offered us to pay a new advance only in exchange for massive layoffs due to performance, downward suspensions and forced restructuring“said the union regarding the fragile situation of workers in the sector.
There was also severe criticism of the national government and the CEO of Techint, Paolo Rocca: “If the company’s intention is to lead us to drip wear and politically accompany Rocca and the Government in an attack against the workers, you will find at the UOM Villa Constitution the resistance that is necessary.”
Dollarized gas: how rates will be updated starting in April
Recession, drop in sales and paralyzed plants
At the beginning of March, Acindar announced that it would advance the paralysis of four plants starting at the end of March due to an “abrupt” drop in sales (around 40% in recent months), in the midst of a complex context marked by recession and high inflation.
In dialogue with Channel ECristian Míguez, member of the Internal Finance Commission, stated that “All sectors are going to be paralyzing their activities for four or five weeks”.
He also explained that the Government’s measures regarding the total stoppage of public works They ended up having a notable impact on the steel company. For construction workers “it ends up being a very important blow”according to Míguez, because “around 50 thousand jobs were already announced.”
According to the interviewee, this picture of recession radiated into both the public and private spheres: “There is no work in the public sector and neither in the private sphere.”
CA/GI