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2026-09-24 17:43 UTC → 2026-09-26 04:54 UTC ·
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VIASPA metallurgical plant labor dispute permanently closes in Lanús
Workers at the The VIASPA S.A.I.C. metallurgical plant in Lanús, Argentina, have entered has officially and permanently closed its facilities, leaving approximately 60 workers unemployed. The closure follows a period of intense uncertainty following the facility's closure and characterized by the cessation of wage payments. payments and the disappearance of management. Following a hearing with the Ministry of Labor of the Province of Buenos Aires, the company’s owners provided written authorization for employees to sell the raw materials remaining at the plant to help cover outstanding debts. This includes instructions for workers to empty the last functioning furnace, which contains approximately 300 kilograms of bronze, for sale. Employees continue to report that they have not received salaries or mid-year bonuses since July, and they July. Furthermore, workers allege that mandatory deductions for pension and healthcare social security contributions have also been withheld. The workforce, which specializes in the casting and extrusion of brass and bronze, claims the company is facing a crisis due to a lack of raw materials. Some employees have accused the owners of a planned emptying of the company, noting that materials are being imported were withheld from abroad rather than being replenished locally. As the situation progressed, workers reported that management has effectively disappeared, failing to respond to calls or messages. While no mass layoffs have been officially executed, the absence of leadership their pay and the lack of communication have left approximately 51 never transferred to 60 employees in a state of limbo. Workers are demanding the full payment of owed debts and severance, or alternatively, the opportunity to form appropriate entities. While some staff members previously suggested forming a cooperative to continue operations. Recent developments indicate the crisis may lead to permanent closure. The factory’s last smelting furnace has been shut down, and maintain operations, many workers have reportedly received written authorization to dispose expressed dissatisfaction with the current settlement proposals, arguing that the value of the remaining raw materials. In an unusual move, management reportedly offered to settle outstanding debts by providing 300 kilograms of surplus bronze instead of cash payments. This local crisis mirrors a broader decline in Argentina’s metallurgical sector, which saw a 6.1 percent drop in activity in August according metal is insufficient to the Association of Metallurgical Industrialists of cover the Argentine Republic (ADIMRA). company’s legal obligations, including unpaid severance.