In January of this year, the Conaprole company acquired a new ultra-pasteurized milk packaging machine for its plant in Rodríguez, San José, which would result in the elimination of several jobs. The latter was denounced by the Association of Workers and Employees of Conaprole (AOEC), a consequence that would come hand in hand with an increase in the workload of others.
In a historic tripartite meeting of the dairy sector held at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the main parties involved have reached an agreement that could mark a before and after in the labor conflict that afflicted the Conaprole UHT Rodríguez plant. After intense negotiations, a “transitory operating proposal” has been presented that seeks to put an end to the union measures and lay the foundations for future negotiations within 30 days.
Friday’s day witnessed a key meeting between representatives of the National Milk Producers Cooperative (Conaprole), the workers’ union (AOEC) and the authorities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS). The objective was to find a solution to the problem that had led to the stoppage of operations at the Rodriguez plant.
After hard hours discussions and negotiationsfinally it was possible to agree on a proposal which will be submitted for consideration by the parties involved next Monday. If accepted, it is expected that activity will resume at the UHT Rodríguez plant on Tuesday, May 30.
The “transitory operation proposal” contemplates various measures and commitments by Conaprole and AOEC, in order to guarantee a orderly and safe return to work at the plant. While specific details have not been fully disclosed, the proposal is expected to include favorable labor conditions for workers and safeguards to ensure production quality and efficiency.
Lawsuits against Da Silva and Antía
In the midst of the conflict, the senator for the National Party, Sebastián Da Silva, believed it pertinent to issue a critical opinion against the union, and stated that “we must be in the shoes of the dairy farmer from San José, from Florida, from Canelones, having suffered what they suffered, so that later they come Full-bellied unionists earning six-figure salaries to stop a company”.
The right-wing legislator added that “just because an official, instead of working at one counter, is sent to the other”, when the Rodríguez plant shuts down, “not only is milk going to be thrown into the dairy, but it is going to be rot a batch of raw material”.
“You have to declare moral war on the Conaprole union if it maintains the absurd attitude of harming the company,” he concluded.
For his part, the mayor of Maldonado, Enríque Antía -also from the National Party- got into the middle of the conflict, targeting the union with a supposed “precedence”. “Some years ago (in 2008), they found an official stealing milk in Conaprole, filmed stealing (…) They forced that official to take it back, and there they marked a line and the guild went to the blades. Mujica and Bonomi were part of the matter, one as Livestock Minister and the other as Labor Minister, ”he snapped.
All these sharp sayings, for the union, are subject to lawsuits before the Justice, which have already been approved by the union leadership. They are going to appear in the city of Maldonado, where the statements were made.
Regarding the conflict in Conaprole, the leader said that “they are magnified.” “Note that from May 9 until now we only had a 2-hour strike and on the day of the assembly, which was the general assembly on May 18. The other was work to regulation. Don’t do overtime and don’t work on breaks.”
