Argentina railway supply and labor disputes emerge

Argentine railway operations and suppliers are facing significant logistical and labor challenges linked to the procurement of ballast stone. Trenes Argentinos Operaciones has not purchased ballast stone since August 2023, following a failed tender in March 2025 and a previous unsuccessful bid for concrete sleepers. Current tenders for track work on the Belgrano Sur lines remain unawarded months after opening.

In Olavarría, the quarry company Galasur has dismissed 19 workers, attempting to pay only half of the required severance. The company attributes this decision to a decline in public works and a reported debt of 1.8 billion pesos owed by Ferrocarriles Argentinos. While the Buenos Aires provincial Ministry of Labor has called for mandatory conciliation, the company seeks to move the conflict to the national level. The labor union AOMA is seeking negotiations to prevent further job losses.