Thursday morning and more than 400 workers
cut off the Rosario-Buenos Aires highway
in protest of the temporary closure of the steel company, Acindar.
There are complaints about layoffs, delays in payments and the paralysis of production.
The total cut is on Route 9 near the city of Villa Constitución.
The internal commission of Acindar, the UOM of Villa Constitución, the UOCRA, the CGT of the same town and also the Luz y Fuerza union of Rosario are present at the protest.
The temporary closure of the steel company, which belongs to the ArcelorMittal Group, is scheduled to begin next Monday.
Thus, it will stop production for a month.
The measure not only affects the Villa Constitución plant
;
includes the four factories located in the country: San Nicolás, in the province of Buenos Aires;
La Tablada, in Rosario and Villa Mercedes, in San Luis.
In this morning's protest it is reported that in addition to the dismissal of 150 outsourced workers and 100 hired in the plant, there is a delay with the payment of salaries.
Yesterday, the company's workers had stopped due to a union action ruled by the UOM.
Through a statement, the CGT Villa Constitución reports that Acindar's paralysis will not only affect direct employees, "but it puts more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs at risk, severely impacting local SMEs, commerce and, therefore, throughout the value chain of the metallurgical industry.”
Total closure of Route 9 by different unions linked to the metallurgical industry in Villa Constitución.
Another statement was published by the UOM of Villa Constitución on its social network Instagram.
"Given the uncertain future of Acindar after the drop in sales and interruption of its production, the concern about the opening of imports and the lack of a joint agreement, metallurgists with the support of the union of commercial and railway employees, historical colleagues and Cooperar 7 of May, they are holding a total highway blockade with the aim of making this critical situation visible and demanding the maintenance of jobs and the recovery of the purchasing power of salaries," they expressed.
Starting Monday, Acindar's steel plants will have a one-month shutdown.
Acindar leads the market for non-flat steel, bars for construction and for the automotive industry in the country.
It also has the production of inputs related to the field.
In the midst of the cut, figures from the opposition political arc expressed their solidarity and support for the measures taken.
On the social network X, representative
Myriam Bregman
posted about it.
"All our solidarity with the workers of Acindar and the entire region. More than ever, we need a national strike and a plan of struggle by the union centers in defense of all jobs, salaries and working conditions," wrote.
The post was accompanied by a video showing the total cut on Route 9.
All our solidarity with the workers of Acindar and the entire region.
More than ever, we need a national strike and a plan of struggle by the union centers in defense of all jobs, salaries and working conditions.
pic.twitter.com/FuWpbhycT1
— Myriam Bregman (@myriambregman) March 7, 2024