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The government of Argentina prolongs the mandatory quarantine 1:26
(CNN Spanish) - To alleviate the labor crisis that can be unleashed by the coronavirus, which could affect workers, the Government of Argentina issued a decree prohibiting unfair dismissal for 60 days.
In the decree issued on March 31, the Argentine government prohibited dismissals and work suspensions "without just cause and on the grounds of lack or reduction of work and force majeure" for the next 60 days.
The dismissals made in violation of the decree "will not produce any effect, the existing labor relations and their current conditions remain in force," says the decree published on March 31.
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, made this decision after having held a meeting with authorities from the Province of Buenos Aires who expressed their concern about the economic situation of some families in the context of the health emergency due to the coronavirus.
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The Argentine government took several measures to stop the coronavirus, including the suspension of classes, the closing of borders, and that people over 60 should not go to work. The measures are in effect until after Easter.
As of March 31, the country reported 1,054 cases of coronavirus and 27 deaths.
Fernández had already anticipated on Sunday, in a press conference, that it was going to be "very hard" with employers who fire workers.
"A falling economy always rises, but a life that ends we do not raise any more," said Fernández on Monday.
"I am not pleased to see someone fire an employee," added the president. “And for that reason as well as I am going to be very hard with the one that breaks the agreement of prices and the maximum prices or speculates in any lost warehouse of Argentina trying to raise the prices… I am going to be hard with them and I am going to be hard with the They fire people because if the pandemic has to teach us anything, it is the rule of solidarity. "
The decree was signed a day after it was learned that the Techint company, one of the most important holding companies in Argentina, suspended 1,450 workers.
Faced with this massive dismissal, Fernández appealed to the president of Techint: “You have earned so much money in your life, you have a fortune that places you among the most millionaires in the world; Brother, this time collaborate, and do it with those who made your company great, with the workers. ”
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From the company they explained that they work with private clients and, as a result of the suspension of their works, they will not be able to invoice during the month of April and, consequently, they will not be able to face the payment of salaries.
In an interview with Radio Miter, Techint CEO Carlos Bacher said that the company's projects were stopped "untimely" by the quarantine decreed by the government and to protect operators in the midst of the pandemic.
"Our company's turnover for April is going to be zero," said Bacher. "What we do have planned and we would like to see happen as soon as possible is that the projects are restarted and people are taken back, it is the plan that we have."
The labor ministry has issued a compulsory conciliation between the company and its employees to cancel the work suspension, the state agency Télam reported.
In the interview with Radio Miter, Bacher suggested the idea that the almost 1,500 employees receive the corresponding salary from the Unemployment Fund.
"There is an agreement signed with the construction union that addresses that, that projects can start, end, stop, and construction employees are accumulating money in an unemployment fund that collects it on the day it ends their work, whether the project is stopped, suspended or for any other reason.
"So our vision for what we are thinking is that it would be convenient at this time that these projects finished, suspended, people collect this unemployment fund that has accumulated over two months working on this project" Bacher said on Radio Miter.
- With information from Ignacio Grimaldi of CNN en Español from Buenos Aires.
Argentina