The metro delegates announced this Sunday two new stoppages of all lines in the subwayscheduled for Tuesday 1 and Thursday 3 August at different times.
The Trade Union Association of Subway and Premetro Workers (AGTSyP) reported that on Tuesday there will be “a total stoppage of the service on the six lines and the Premetro, between 8:00 p.m. and closing time. Meanwhile, on Thursday the force measure will take place between 6:00 a.m.: 00 and 9:00 on all lines and the Premetro.
“Faced with the lack of response to the health crisis caused by asbestos in the underground, the workers will carry out new forceful measures”, announced the metro delegates. In this way, the union will carry out measures similar to those taken in previous weeks.
Asbestos is a mineral component that, if found in the air, can enter the lungs and remain for a long time. It is also a product that has multiple uses due to its resistance to heat, acids and friction, with a great insulating capacity.
The element can be found in the construction of engines, trains, ships and flame retardant material.
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“These measures are the product of the lack of response from the City Government and the company Emova to our demands for comprehensive de-animalization of the network, change of contaminated fleets, medical surveillance for all workers and reduction of the weekly working day”.
“Despite the fact that for 5 years we have been doing everything humanly possible to remove the carcinogenic material that puts the health and life of users and workers at risk, we have not received another response from those responsible other than denial, misrepresentation of the reality, persecution and criminalization of workers,” they remarked in a statement released to the press.
Regarding the claim, they added: “With a mournful balance of three colleagues who died due to asbestos contamination, 90 affected and the group of colleagues at constant riskwe have no other alternative to safeguard our lives than to deepen the measures of force”.
“We do not have any more time to continue waiting for the City Government and Emova to comply with international regulations, WHO recommendations, national law and the ruling of the Buenos Aires justice that strictly obliges the concessionaire company and the Government to stop of exposing workers, users and neighbors to the carcinogen that has been banned since 2003,” they specified.
In addition, they added: “We have to clearly point out that those responsible for this health crisis and the conflict it causes are the officials of the concessionaire and the City administration, who, in order not to advance in the solution of the asbestos crisis, are located outside the law, becoming criminals that endanger public health in CABA”.
“Once again we call on the users and neighbors of the subway, who are like us, the workers, exposed to the carcinogenic asbestos to join our demand for comprehensive de-animalization of the network so that the City subway ceases to be a risk for public health,” they closed.
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