TGU workers give their version of the negotiations with the company

After the report of the TGU board of directors in the paper edition of EL ECO on Saturday the 14th, the union sent the letter to this medium, which we reproduce below:
“Since the first days of December 2022, the workers that make up the effective operations and maintenance staff (27 out of a total of 58) of the TGU company in the city of Nueva Palmira, were invited by the company to renegotiate the Collective Agreements signed on November 15 and 28, 2017 and for this reason several meetings have been held within the scope of the MTSS.
In the first place, we express that since the aforementioned agreements we are the sector that has systematically resigned benefits in order to alleviate the economic and financial needs of the company. We have already lost in other restructurings: monthly payments, categories, job positions and also, as is intended on this occasion, hourly reductions. Although we know we are part of the company, it is not the responsibility of this area to carry out commercial efforts that result in work for everyone. However, we are the ones who are once again asked to make the sacrifice, since the company has shown no interest in modifying any other aspect and affecting other areas of the company, such as vehicle rental and fuel consumption. only for managerial and administrative use, and without restructuring the monthly staff that it currently has.
The company’s position states that the lack of work makes it necessary to reduce calls, when every or almost every day, currently, seasonal or temporary staff is called, in addition to effective staff; without forgetting the outsourced companies that today carry out tasks for TGU in their plant.
Nor can we fail to mention the investment project for which, according to local and national press reports, the company is only waiting for the approval of the national government and for which more personnel would be necessary.
Finally, we want to put on record that although the company has stated that this renegotiation is for the “benefit” of the actual day laborers (we repeat: the only sector affected), a high degree of stress has been noted in the last month in the workers involved generated by the bewilderment and uncertainty that this situation causes.
Despite all of the above, last Thursday the 12th a bipartite worker-company meeting was held at the union headquarters in Nueva Palmira, seeking points of agreement prior to the last instance in the MTSS on Tuesday the 17th, resulting in the company returning to their initial position, even sending an ultimatum stating that those who do not accept the new conditions will be dismissed with the express clause that they will not be reinstated under any circumstances.
This is why we believe it is necessary to make public the situation in which we find ourselves, once again facing a reactionary investor group that intends to subdue rights, once again playing with necessity and violating the dignity of workers.”