09/07/2026 21:54 - Economia
On July 7, 2026, while the entire country of Argentina was vibrating with the national team's comeback against Egypt in the World Cup Round of 16, a group of 36 workers at the Metalfor plant in the small town of Noetinger, Córdoba province, were experiencing a very different reality. The company, which manufactures agricultural machinery, had authorized them to leave early to watch the match, but hours later, they received their dismissal notices via telegram.
According to Santiago Luna, one of the dismissed workers, supervisors had informed them on Monday that Tuesday's shift would run from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM and that the remaining three hours of their normal workday would not be deducted from their pay. After leaving at noon, some employees received a WhatsApp message from an employee at the local post office, asking them to come to the branch. Upon arriving, they were handed their dismissal documents.
This drastic measure takes place within a complex economic situation for the company. Days before the incident, Metalfor had requested the opening of a Preventive Crisis Procedure (PPC) with the Ministry of Labor of Córdoba. This legal mechanism in Argentina allows companies facing severe financial distress to renegotiate labor conditions with the union and the State to seek a financial way out and avoid massive layoffs.
It is estimated that the company maintains debts with 23 different banking institutions and currently operates at only 50% of its installed capacity. Furthermore, the workers allege that machinery and parts are being secretly moved from the Noetinger plant to the company's headquarters in Marcos Juárez.
Luna's testimony revealed a worrying delay in payments that has been brewing since 2025. Initially, salaries began to be paid in installments that kept getting stretched out. In the months leading up to the dismissal, the company was paying each worker meager installments of $50,000 Argentine Pesos (ARS) every two or three days.
Currently, the workers report that the company owes them almost 60% of their May salary, the entirety of June, and the days worked in July. To make matters worse, they denounce the alleged breach of a preventive crisis agreement signed with the Unión Obrera Metalúrgica (UOM - the metalworkers' union), which explicitly prevented the company from advancing with layoffs while the agreement was in effect.
Unlike a similar episode last year, where 25 employees with less seniority were quietly dismissed, this time the group decided to make their claim public. The workers, some with over 20 years of seniority at the plant, are seeking the intervention of the Minister of Labor of Córdoba, Omar Sereno, to guarantee the payment of their overdue wages and corresponding severance packages. This situation demonstrates that unity and organization are key to defending labor rights in Argentina.
Source: Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
