The subway stoppage announced by the metro delegates for this Monday affects all lines on a rotating basis. It started in the early hours of the morning and will last until the end of the service. This is the 14th protest since the unionists began to make rotating force measures in demand of the reduction of the working day.
Between 15 and 18 the H line is paralyzed. Then, between 18 and 21, the force measure will affect the E and the Premetro. Finally, from 21 and until closing, line B will stop running.
"The company Metrovías-Emova, which we summoned until Friday to return all the illegally deducted wages to hundreds of workers, has finally not done so. Unfortunately, the concessionaire has decided to maintain its extortion and criminal posture and did not return the days stolen from our salaries, so we are forced to carry out forceful measures, "they said from the Trade Association of Subway and Premetro Workers (AGTSyP) in a statement.
From Emova, meanwhile, the company that has the subway concession, said that the measure of force will affect more than 900,000 users.
On Monday there will be a subway stop throughout the day, staggered on the different lines. Photo: Nacho CarrerasPhoto: Rafael Mario Quinteros
Line by line
As announced by the unionists, the first line to suffer the interruption of service was the C from 5.30 to 9.
Then, the strike continued on line A, from 9 to 12; and from 12 to 15 the D line did not work. On line H the strike was established from 15 to 18; on line E and the Premetro, from 18 to 21; and on line B, from 21 to 24.
Monday's strike is the longest since the crackdown began. More than a month ago, metro delegates interrupted service for two hours, on two lines at the same time. Then, last week, they did it with three-hour stoppages and at non-peak times but high demand, between 13 and 16.
"We make it clear once again that we will continue our fight plan demanding the integral desbestización of the subway, the change of the contaminated fleets and the reduction of the working day, for which we invite the users and neighbors of the network to join our demand in defense of the health of all, "said the metro delegates.
For its part, the company reported that "the General Directorate of Labor Protection, which depends on the Undersecretariat of Labor of the City, that "the conditions are adequate for the development of the activity."
The company reported that in 2018 the Asbestos Commission was created, an interdisciplinary table composed "of both the relevant authorities and the trade union entities, where the actions that are executed in pursuit of the care of workers are agreed." Asbestos is an insulating material that was banned for use 20 years ago and was mostly in older formations.
"Emova regrets the intransigent position of the union and ratifies that the scope of the Subway complies with the conditions required by the rules that regulate safety at work based on scientific and technical standards," they remarked from the concessionaire in a statement.
The metro delegates, for their part, who until now pointed out as the main claim the reduction of the working day from 36 to 30 hours per week, and with the argument that there are employees affected by asbestos, now added the request to open the joint discussion.
"We have been demanding the opening of the joint table to discuss the reduction of the weekly working day to 30 hours to be less exposed to asbestos, and the salary conditions expired on February 28," they said on Friday.
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