The president of the PIT-CNT Marcelo Abdala criticized the fact that the president, Luis Lacalle Pou, has stated that the conflict in Conaprole “is incredible.” “While from the PIT-CNT we are dedicated to finding a negotiated solution, the president is dedicated to insulting the workers,” the unionist wrote on his Twitter account.
“Always on the side of economic power, never on the side of the working people,” he said.
Regrettable. While from the @PITCNT1 we are dedicated to finding a negotiated solution, the president @LuisLacallePou is dedicated to insulting CONAPROLE workers. Always on the side of economic power, never of the working people. https://t.co/NKIMuCD4VH
— Marcelo Abdala (@MarceAbdalaCNT) May 27, 2023
The president referred this Saturday to the conflict between the union and the company Conaprolecaused by the installation of a newer bottling plant that requires the work of fewer people.
“When you see what the reason for the conflict is… It’s incredible. There are 11 or 12 jobs that change places, because they continue to work,” said Lacalle Pou during his speech at a new Rural Federation congress that was held this Saturday in Peach.
The latter refers to the origin of the conflict between the union and the cooperative. It is that at the end of 2022 Conaprole imported a packaging machine from Sweden for about US$ 4.5 million that allows two machines that were 30 years old to be discontinued.
Although the union fights to keep 32 people to operate this new machine, the company alleges that only 22 or 23 are necessary. And it proposes that the rest be relocated to other tasks that they have already carried out during previous instances. In this way, there are no layoffs or salary reductions.
However, among other things, the union asks to discuss under what conditions the workers who remain operating the machine will be carrying out their tasks.
“The progress is that in order to produce more and more efficiently there are some areas that are going to be modernized. I have never seen anyone go on strike because a dairy closes, as so many have closed,” stressed Lacalle Pou and generated applause from the producers who they listened to it.
