Alicia Gutiérrez, former pool runner and secretary of conflicts of the National Union of workers, sellers of pools, bingo, games of chance and the like in Paraguay (Sitranquiba), reported that they will call a demonstration in front of the National Games of Chance Commission (Conajzar) for this Wednesday June 8th.
The reasons are the massive layoffs of workers who do not reach the daily goal of G. 200 thousand. The goal is to convene a large nationwide demonstration.
“The machines are being taken away from them. The new provision says that if the daily goal of G. 200 thousand is not reached, the device will be removed, ”he said.
Those in charge of the agencies are threatened by TDP that if they do not remove the devices they may also lose the agency, according to Gutiérrez.
The firm’s argument is that they lose between G. 35 to 55 million per agency each month compared to the profits they had before the pandemic. For this reason, they demand a daily goal from their runners.
“There are sick people who cannot do heavy work. I am referring to two grandparents from Villa Elisa. A marriage that was dedicated to the sale of the pool, their machine was taken from both of them. Also a colleague recently operated on the lung ”, he pointed out.
More than 50 quinieleros have already lost their jobs due to this situation. Among them, about 10 older adults. About two months ago the threats from TDP began.
TRICKS
To this is added a promotion organized by the same company to encourage the quinieleros to increase their collections, which was carried out 15 days ago and a total of eight quinieleros were winners. It consisted of reaching weekly goals to access cash prizes.
However, the days go by and they never receive the prizes of G. 5 million for the best two. While, for the other six that also exceeded the goal, the prize was G. 2.5 million.
NO ANSWERS
Due to this, the workers requested a meeting with María Galván del Puerto, the new head of the National Games of Chance Commission (Conajzar), however, they did not receive answers.
She has been in office on an interim basis since mid-February after the resignation of José Ortiz. Quinieleros regret that the situation has not changed at all after the change.
PRECARIOUSNESS
The firm that operates the pool is Technologies Development of Paraguay (TDP). It belongs to Diego Wasmosy, son of former President Juan Carlos Wasmosy.
The complaints against the company were accentuated at the end of 2020, when journalistic publications revealed that it was failing to pay the fees that should have been destined for the ex-combatants of the Chaco War.
This is the breach of article 32 of Law 431/73 “On pensions in favor of Chaco veterans.” And article 19 of Law 1016/97 “On the regime for the exploitation of Games of Chance”.
Despite these complaints, and in the same month of September, the National Games of Chance Commission (Conajzar), again awarded TDP for the exploitation of the pool game for the next five years (2025) with the endorsement of Mario Abdo Benitez, President of the Republic.
