08/07/2026 21:22 - Economia
While the entire country of Argentina celebrated the historic comeback of the National Team against Egypt on July 7, 2026, a group of Metalfor workers experienced a very different situation. The agricultural machinery company, based in Marcos Juárez, Córdoba province, had authorized its operators to leave at 12:00 PM to enjoy the match. However, taking advantage of this moment, the company sent 35 dismissal telegrams to employees at its Noetinger plant (which had a total of 146 operators).
In Argentina, a telegrama laboral (labor telegram) is a formal legal notification used for dismissals. Receiving one during a national holiday celebrating a World Cup match was a particularly harsh blow for the workers.
According to Argentine media such as La Nación and Infobae, Metalfor is going through a severe liquidity crisis. A week earlier, on July 2, 2026, the firm initiated a Preventive Crisis Procedure (PPC, by its Spanish acronym) before the Ministry of Labor of Córdoba due to delayed salary payments for its 600 direct workers.
The PPC is a legal mechanism in Argentina that enables tripartite dialogue between the company, the union, and the State to alleviate costs and prevent mass layoffs. The parties have a maximum deadline of July 15, 2026 to reach an agreement.
Founded by Luis Dadomo in 1974 in El Fortín and moved to Marcos Juárez in 1993, Metalfor is a benchmark in self-propelled sprayers (agricultural machines used to apply pesticides). In 2017, the company was acquired by another Córdoba-based firm, Bertotto Boglione. In the first quarter of 2026, the drop in sales was notable: 56 units compared to 116 in the same period of 2025, and production falling from 86 to 38 machines.
To try to reverse the situation, at the end of 2025 Metalfor achieved a milestone by becoming the first Argentine company to receive a loan from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), for USD 50 million over eight years. However, the macroeconomic panorama and the decline of the agricultural sector ended up absorbing this financial relief.
Despite the hard blow for the 35 dismissed workers, the UOM union (United Steel Workers) of Bell Ville and labor authorities are working intensely to reach an agreement before July 15. The main objective is to preserve the 600 direct jobs that still remain, seeking restructuring mechanisms that will allow the historic firm to overcome this hurdle and once again become an engine of the Argentine agricultural industry.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
