Granja Tres Arroyos conducts mass layoffs in Argentina

Granja Tres Arroyos has initiated a wave of mass layoffs at its poultry plant in Concepción del Uruguay, Argentina. While the company initially reported approximately 250 terminations, union representatives from the Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Industria de la Alimentación claim the number of dismissal notices may reach between 300 and 400.

The company has justified the layoffs by citing a decrease in work due to avian flu outbreaks, trade restrictions, and falling exports, invoking Article 247 of the Labor Contract Law to reduce severance payments. However, the union has rejected these justifications, stating that the poultry sector is not in crisis, but rather the specific company is.

The situation has taken a tragic turn following the death of Carlos Esquivel, a 51-year-old employee who reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack upon receiving his dismissal notice. Esquivel had worked in the packaging sector for 15 years.

These dismissals have also disrupted ongoing negotiations between the union, the municipality, and the provincial government aimed at reactivating the plant. Workers have expressed concerns regarding unpaid salaries and the uncertainty of receiving legal indemnities.