Tension at Petroquímica Río Tercero: reports of breach of conciliation and extortion

The chemical workers' union of Río Tercero reported that Petroquímica broke the mandatory conciliation in effect until Monday. According to the union, they remain in a state of assembly inside the plant due to unpaid wages. They state that the company made a partial payment conditional on their request to end the conciliation.

Lucas Felici, union representative, explained that the company offered to pay only 50% of July's wages in exchange for a union request to lift the conciliation. The leader stated that this is an unacceptable extortion that further deepens the labor conflict at the plant. For now, the workers remain at their posts, but production has been completely halted.

The union clarified that this is not a factory takeover, since they haven't interrupted shifts or essential tasks. However, they warned that they will remain in permanent assembly while the situation remains unsolved. They also demanded the urgent intervention of the Labor Secretariat to ensure compliance with labor rights.

Tension with the Police reported and company executives targeted

On Wednesday night, the workers reported that the Police blocked the main entrance to the plant while the mandatory conciliation was in effect. Faced with this situation, they decided to remain inside the premises in permanent assembly, awaiting a solution from the Ministry. "The local police blocked the gate to the workers during the mandatory conciliation," the union stated.

In a statement, they held all three levels of government responsible for the safety of the workers and accused the company of acting with threats. "They extorted us by offering 50 percent of the salary in exchange for us disregarding the conciliation," they said. They also emphasized that they will not allow their wages and their families' future to be used as bargaining chips.

"The company wants to bankrupt not only the factory but our lives and our convictions," the delegates warned in the same statement. They called on social organizations and unions in the province to join the protest to prevent the emptying process from advancing. They also demanded an urgent meeting with labor authorities to address the crisis.

Last October, Petroquímica closed its TDI plant, its main production unit, and since then has accumulated 249 layoffs. The latest cut was on July 14, with the dismissal of 124 employees, several of them at its Buenos Aires headquarters. The company requested to open a preventive crisis process in Buenos Aires, with only 130 active workers compared to the 375 it had 9 months ago.