02/07/2026 09:45 - Politica
On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, the Argentine National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) reportedly formalized the non-renewal of 61 workers under fixed-term contracts. This measure has sparked a debate about the future of Argentina's critical nuclear development areas.
Official sources indicated that the affected workers joined in 2023 and that 42 of them only had secondary or primary education. The agency's president, Martín Porro, assured that no scientific or strategic personnel were dismissed, describing the move as the non-renewal of administrative contracts.
The ATE (State Workers' Association) union denounced that among those not renewed were professionals, researchers, and specialized technicians from key areas. Names that surfaced included chemical and electronic engineers from the CAREM (an innovative Argentine small modular reactor project) and Nuclear Energy management areas.
According to EconoJournal, the cuts would impact 16 different management areas. The main distribution reportedly was:
The rest would be distributed in areas like Radioisotope Production, Social Communication, and the RA-10 (Argentine Multipurpose Reactor).
After the announcement, workers and delegates gathered at the central headquarters on Avenida Libertador to demand explanations. This prompted a heavy deployment of the National Gendarmerie, Argentina's federal security force, which reinforced the building's security. The Institutional Relations Secretary of ATE, Rodolfo Kempf, lamented that President Martín Porro did not receive the demonstrators and that security forces were used.
Despite this challenging moment for the non-renewed workers, Argentina's scientific community possesses a valuable human capital. Highly trained professionals in nuclear and chemical engineering represent a fundamental asset that will undoubtedly find new spaces to continue contributing to the technological and energy development of the country and the world.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
