VW reopened with the focus on the health of its operators

All eyes of industrialists and local authorities pointed yesterday at Volkswagen Argentina’s gearbox factory in Córdoba, which returned to business after just over five weeks in quarantine.

After complying with the social isolation established to prevent the Covid-19 virus, the Córdoba Industrial Center passed the official controls on the implementation of sanitary and biosafety protocols without problems.

The start was with 220 operators, a team that will be completed from next Monday with another 230 and work in two shifts.

But more than making boxes, the first task yesterday was to clear the doubts of their operators.

“People came back with a lot of fear. She spent all these days isolated at home; so there were doubts about what it was like to get to the plant and what it would be like to return home after working, ”said Antonio Quintana, Smata general secretary yesterday.

The union, together with the automaker, diagrammed the protocol that was verified yesterday by an inspection by the Province Ministry of Labor.

For the company, the Cordovan plant passed the exam: “People were very happy to go back to work. He found the plant in good condition and was very satisfied with all the controls and security measures, ”reported Volkswagen Argentina.

The operators entered yesterday by signing an affidavit that they had no contact with people from abroad; temperature control, disinfection (with alcohol gel) and shoe cleaning were done.

Under the established scheme, workers arrive from home in their uniforms in their own vehicles. They park and enter without touching the traditional pinwheels. When they leave, they make the same journey and when they get home they put their uniform to wash, since they generally have two outfits.

Inside the plant, operators must wear masks, masks and gloves. Locker rooms and smoking room remain closed.

Also, the distance between them should be 1.5 meters. This forced to change the dining room, where six were seated per table, and to demarcate the work and rest areas.

The operators who go to the plant collect wages normally; those who remain suspended receive 90 percent of their pocket wages.

Quarantined salary

Meanwhile, the Association of Automotive Factories (Adefa) began negotiations with Smata to postpone the quarterly increase that was due to start paying in April, since most terminals are closed.

“It is not what we would like, but it is an atypical situation, never seen before. The idea is to recover the increase from July onwards, “added Quintana.

For their part, the Unión Obrera Metalúrgica (UOM) and the Asociación de Industriales Metallurgicos de la República Argentina (Adimra) also agreed to pay 86 percent of their pocket wages.

The idea does not have much consensus in Córdoba. The union, led locally by Rubén Urbano, insists on demanding payment of one hundred percent of the pocket salary (without employer contributions).

Among the companies, some prefer the agreement between the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), which agreed to pay 75 percent of the pocket wage, and others claim that with their doors closed they will not be able to pay too.

“If companies receive the Repro and other aid, it is fair that they pay the total out-of-pocket salary,” said Urbano.

In this regard, Eduardo Borri, head of the Chamber of Metal Industries (Cimcc), replied: “We accompany the Adimra agreement, but there are companies that cannot pay because they are absolutely paralyzed; Most likely, each firm will end up negotiating its own deal. ”

Epec Tickets: Hotels and restaurants

Survey of the Ombudsman’s Office.

The provincial ombudsman, Mario Decara, asked the Provincial Energy Company (Epec) for the situation of hotels and gastronomic venues. From the institution they surveyed the situation of 139 establishments and found that in more than 30 percent of cases the expenditure on electrical energy exceeds 45 percent of the total operating costs in full quarantine, especially in the Punilla department.