Argentina municipal government confronts cooperatives over delayed public‑work payments

In the Argentine city of Tartagal, municipal government secretary Ernesto Restom said the administration will not negotiate with cooperatives that “press” or threaten officials over unpaid public‑work contracts. Restom warned that only cooperatives that complete their projects according to regulations will receive payment, while others could face criminal proceedings. Police have been deployed to the municipal tax office where the cooperatives have set up stalls, and the dispute has persisted since June without a hearing with mayor Franco Hernández Berni.

The cooperatives continue to demand payment for completed work, accusing the municipality of withholding funds, while the government maintains that the work certificates and timelines are incomplete.