Dánica closes its dressing factory in San Luis and blames the Aceiteros union

Luis Ceriotto

04/20/2021 3:32 PM

• Clarín.com

• Economy

Updated 04/20/2021 3:32 PM

The

Dánica

brand dressing plant

, located in Villa Mercedes, San Luis,

will close its doors

by decision of its owners, who in turn accused the local

Aceitero

s union (SOEAD) as responsible for

having forced

the situation.

130 people

work in the factory

, including oil workers and administrative workers.

“The AVEX company, owner of the

Dánica, D'Fiesta and Mayodan brands

, reports the closure of its dressing production plant in Villa Mercedes (San Luis province) due to the impossibility of redirecting

the long conflict sustained by the union local de Aceiteros

(SOEAD) ”, said the company through a statement.

The trigger for the closure, according to business spokespersons, was the equalization of the joint

venture

with Aceiteros, which establishes a

salary increase of 70%

.

“An

erroneous union framing

of the activity and a

violent and irascible

union representation

that has excessively radicalized labor relations (even perpetrating sabotage in the production lines)

have made the maintenance

of operations in said plant

unfeasible

, with the consequent shortage of products in the gondolas of all the country ”, added the company.

Dánica / AVEX is owned by

Grupo Beltrán

, of Cordovan origin and

one of the strongest in the country in the refrigeration industry

. In 2018, they acquired

this business unit from

the Brazilian group

BRF

(which was leaving Argentina), with factories in San Luis and in Buenos Aires Llavallol. This last plant is where the classic Dánica margarine is manufactured, as well as other brands such as Manty. At the Villa Mercedes plant they make dressings such as mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, which have a strong presence in the supermarket shelves, within the

cheapest

brands

.

The conflict with the Aceiteros union is due to a union framing issue. Since it acquired Dánica, the Beltrán Group has asked to change the framework of its workers to that of the

Food

union

, whose salaries are

lower

. Neither the Ministry of Labor of San Luis nor that of the Nation

agreed

to this claim. But at the Llavallol plant, they reached an agreement with the union that brought the salary increases back to a year ago. With the union branch of Villa Mercedes, on the other hand,

there was no agreement

.

"The situation is aggravated by other factors in the context, such as

the impact of the fixing of maximum prices

for food products produced by the company, the abrupt increase in the international price of the" commodities "of inputs, as well as the recent homologation of a joint agreement that imposes a salary increase of around 70% for the activity, "added the company statement.

The company reported that it initiated the procedure before the Ministry of Labor of the Nation to lay off its employees within the framework of article 247 of the Labor Contract Law, which

provides for a 50% compensation

.

The owner of the Aceiteros subsidiary in Villa Mercedes is

Juan José Domínguez

, who rejected the company's arguments and demanded that they pay

double compensation

to the 105 unionized workers.

“For 32 years this company has paid (the agreement of) Aceiteros.

If the company wants to leave,

let it do what the law says, pay 200%

.

Let him pay double compensation to be

able to leave

, ”Domínguez said in statements to

LV15

radio

.

After accusing the Beltrán Group of "not wanting to pay" what the Aceiteros agreement establishes, Domínguez said that from the union they do not see badly that the company ends up leaving the province. “It would be for the good that (the workers) collect everything (what the agreement establishes), but it

would

also

be for the good that this company leaves, compensates as they have to compensate the colleagues, but leave us alone

. It cannot be that every four months we are talking about Dánica, ”Domínguez added.