Conaprole's union causes plant closure in Rivera

Conaprole, Uruguay's leading dairy company, announced the closure of its plant number 14 in Rivera, scheduled for October 31, 2025, due to a drop in fresh milk production, about 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) per day.

The plant's industrial inefficiency has been pointed out, according to Gabriel Fernández, president of Conaprole. 

The plant, acquired in 1984 as the former Industria Láctea de Rivera (INLAR), generates about 40 direct and indirect jobs.

The decision has sparked a labor dispute, with FTIL (Federation of Dairy Industry Workers) and AOEC (Association of Conaprole Workers and Employees), union organizations affiliated with PIT-CNT.

Both are "on alert" and organizing measures.

Wildcat strike

There was a 24-hour wildcat strike on Friday, July 11, which was a true disaster. The unionists launched an absolutely irresponsible strike with the sole purpose of harming small family dairy farmers and ruining their milk production. 

On social media, videos could be seen of how small dairies in the country's interior poured fresh milk onto the fields due to the strike.

Communist leader directs the conflict

EnriqueMéndez is the unionist from the CommunistParty who leads FTIL. He is an extremist addicted to labor conflicts, who on May Day last year was invited by the Cuban communist dictatorship to the island. 

According to the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Castrista tyranny: "As every year, a group of Uruguayan friends formed the May 1st Brigade, which traveled to Havana to participate in the Cuban celebration of International Workers' Day."  

Later, the website of the Cuban narco dictatorship states, "This time, the delegation of 40 brigadistas was headed by comrade Enrique Méndez, member of the Executive Secretariat of the Uruguayan union central PIT-CNT and in charge of the Organization area." 

The official statement from the aforementioned Caribbean communist dictatorship indicates that "The brigade, in addition to participating in the May 1st parade, was also present at the International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba and against Imperialism, held at the Havana Convention Palace and attended by 1,144 delegates from 220 organizations, from 58 countries. At this event, PIT CNT was awarded the Trade Union Solidarity Prize for its historic support to the Cuban people." 

As can be easily seen, PIT-CNT sent a group of unionists to the May Day event on the island to applaud the communist narco dictatorship that has violated Human Rights for 66 years.

Enrique Méndez was one of the applauders of the Castrista repressors.

He could be seen at several official events smiling and embracing the genocidal rulers who have ruled the island in a tyrannical manner for more than six decades.

Anti-worker union

Now, in July 2025, Méndez, a member of the Communist Party and PIT-CNT, is one of those responsible for the Conaprole plant in Rivera being about to close.

The union measures are boycotting the dairy company and ruining production.

At the end of October, Conaprole plans to close the plant in the department of Rivera and dozens of families will be left out on the street. 

This is the same parasitic and anti-Uruguayan unionism that caused the closure of the Yazaki company a few months ago. 

This is the anti-worker unionism that causes companies to close and ruins the lives of thousands of honest workers' families.