The metro delegates announced that they will carry out a total stoppage of subways the next monday may 15. The measure of force would affect the six lines that make up the network of this transport of the City of Buenos Aires and the Premetro “if the company Metrovías – EMOVA does not return the illegally deducted wages by this Friday, May 12.”
“The workers will continue with the plan of struggle demanding the comprehensive disabestization of the network and the reduction of the working day carrying out this coming Monday 15 measures of force that will affect and paralyze the 6 subway lines and the Premetro if the company does not return the illegally deducted wages by this Friday the 12th,” they said in a statement.
“The concessionaire company Metrovías-Emova not only does not respond to our claims, but also advances with threat of unjustified sanctions and illegal discounts of hundreds of days of wages on hundreds of workers. In addition, it has been failing to comply with the opening of the joint discussion expired since February 28,” they added in the text.
At a press conference, the Secretary General Robert Pianelli He specified: “EMOVA made 214 discounts, five days for 30 workers, six days for another 78, seven days for 20 workers, there are another 5 with nine days discount and one with 21 days discount.”
“These extortive attitudes, mafiosi of the company seek intimidate workers by trying to get us to stop denouncing the health crisis in the subway that has already caused deaths and affected workers and users. Far from this, we will continue with all the measures in our power to safeguard our lives and the lives of millions of users.”
Claudio Dellecarbonara: “Asbestos in the subway is highly carcinogenic, but the company does what it wants”
“The company is taking a disciplinary action, arbitrary and without any reason, discounting days that we have worked. Why do this? To try to intimidate us and so that there are larger measures,” Pianelli said.
“We are trying to avoid taking any major measures, but it is evident that what the company is looking for is to create chaos in the underground so that people do not travel and then want to appear as victims. They are not victims, they are victimizers,” she added.
In turn, the association’s secretary general added: “They have used us for 30 years, poisoning us without saying so and without any type of protection. That is why they leave us no alternative but to set a limit. We cannot work for free. We cannot allow this illegality and the authorities would have to intervene.”
“Until Friday of this week we will wait for the company to pay the discounts made illegally, because otherwise they are going to force us to take a measure on all lines on Monday,” he warned, assuring that “they are not going to be left any other alternative”
Pianelli remarked that the attitude of the company “It is an outrage in a scandalous way” and also gave notice to the authorities involved so that they “take immediate action” in the matter. “We will communicate the details of the measures in the next few hours” ended the letter of the Trade Association of Subway and Premetro Workers (AGTSyP) along with the words of the Secretary General.
Asbestos, the carcinogenic material in the subway
The measures of force on the part of the union of subway workers arise based on a claim to reduce exposure to asbestosa mineral used as an insulator whose use was prohibited about 20 years ago because it was considered dangerous to health.
“In the subway there is carcinogenic material that took the lives of three workers, left six with cancer and sickened another 90 workers“, maintained Pianelli and assured that through the claims they are trying to” improve their quality of life.
In this sense, he pointed out: “Many of us have been working on the subway for 30 years and we found out 5 years ago, and not from the company, that we were working with a carcinogenic material. Now we are going to suffer all our lives waiting to see if we develop a deadly disease as a result of this contamination.”
Specifically, asbestos is a material that has no odor and when its fibers expand it can cause terminal illnesses, including cancer. The symptoms of its consequences can only be observed between 30 and 40 years later of the first exposure.
The schedule of increases for the subway and the premetro that is in force from this Saturday, May 6
Such material is even more risky as time goes by, since it breaks down and begins to come into contact with the air and a single fiber can make people who breathe it sick. Once symptoms start to show, the most frequent outcome is death in the short termsince asbestos adheres to the lungs and generates fibrosis.
For its part, the company confirmed that “more than 2,500 measurements of air quality in all subway work areas yielded results considered adequate for health” and insisted that “the scope meets the required conditions by the norms that regulate safety at work based on scientific and technical standards”.
“In compliance with current regulations, the company works actively in a deforestation plan in continuity with the process started more than 4 years ago”, assured the company and concluded: “We regret that these unjustified forceful measures harm people who need to move around the city”.
AS/ff
You may also like