The president of Codelco’s board of directors, Máximo Pacheco, admitted that the decision to close the Ventanas smelter “was not easy”, reiterating that “none of the 348 people in the smelter will be without a job.”
Through a document sent to the workers, the former minister indicated that “the definition of the majority of the board of directors to advance in the preparation for the cessation of the operation of the Ventanas smelter has been taken with immense responsibility, considering the best interest of the company, and complying with two express requests: to end the uncertainty that has accompanied those who operate in this process for years and to ensure dialogue with the union leaders of the division”.
“This has not been an easy decision. We know that the workers of the foundry have given their best so that the environmental improvements of recent years serve the common good of protecting the surroundings of Puchuncaví and Quintero and, especially, the health of its inhabitants. We are certain that they have put their hearts into this, because each one of them and their families are part of the community that suffers the consequences of being immersed in an industrial pole that pollutes and that was declared a saturated zone a almost 30 years,” says the text.
In that sense, Pacheco lamented that “there are three decades in which, despite continuous efforts, a definitive solution has not been achieved that ends the sorrow of the 52,000 people who live in the area that many call a sacrifice” .
“It has been installed that with an investment of 54 million dollars we would end this serious problem. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Financing these works would only serve to reduce emissions and improve their dispersion, but we would continue to be exposed to new peaks of polluting gases,” he said.
Along the same lines, Pacheco points out that “none of the 348 people in the foundry will be without a job. They will continue to be part of one of our other divisions if they so wish, and if someone prefers to apply for a special voluntary retirement plan, they will have that option available”.
“The work that is coming is enormous, but I am convinced that it responds to the need to ensure a better future, especially for the communities, of which the workers of Ventanas and their families are a part,” he addressed.
“We propose a fair transition towards ways of operating that generate well-being for all, and in which the least favored are not the ones who have to pay the costs of development. We will walk this path together and find the best solution for the people of the foundry , the bay of Quintero-Puchuncaví and all of Chile,” the document closes.
DECISION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As indicated by Máximo Pacheco, the decision was not easy. Neither for him nor for the board, since the determination was by “majority” and not by “unanimity.”
Five members voted in favor of the closure and three were against adopting the decision, according to Third.
The director proposed by the FTC and human resources engineer, Nelson Cáceres, opposed the closing of the Ventanas smelter due to what it would entail in labor matters. He was joined by Isidoro Palma and Patricia Núñez (appointed in the Sebastián Piñera administration).
For Palma, the decision required greater analysis, more “conscientious” and detailed. Meanwhile, Núñez questioned the effect that the discussion was generating in Codelco, for which he left his justification for the refusal in writing.
As he maintains Thirdwithin the organization there is discomfort over the determination, and some members indicate that the board of directors was not the one that decided on the closure.
