There is already a history of electricity being cut off by CALF, at the end of August last year, with a growing conflict and subsequent payment plan to restore service.
“They have just received us because of the concern that we once again have a threat of power outage in Neuquén ceramics dated next Monday,” he told LMNeuquén Bernardo Retamales, owner of the Confluencia Cooperative, which is in charge of the ceramics located in the Neuquén Industrial Park.
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Cerámica Neuquén is an old factory that had its productive splendor and with a history of dismantling and auction.
Maria Isabel Sanchez
Cerámica Neuquén: they ask for a “differentiated rate”
There are three invoices that are owed to the CALF Cooperative, with a global amount of 30 million pesosand from the ceramics they want there to be a differential rate, despite the fact that it has industrial activities.
There are about 80 workers at Cerámica Neuquén and in recent months several crises have happened: not only debts with CALF, due to the high consumption of the facilities on the production line, but also an auction of the facilities that was stopped.
“For some time now we have been asking the government for a solution to these high electricity rates that are coming to the factory, which are the last ones now. “They are around 30 million pesos,” added the worker.
The problem is that, regardless of the fact that it is a cooperative that is managing the factory, Cerámica Neuquén carries out industrial operations, which are framed in a type of category in terms of the electricity bill. And a differential rate would come into collision with the other factories.
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Workers and leaders of Cerámica Neuquén such as Alejandro López entering the Government House to meet with Minister Jorge Tobares.
“We need aid or a differentiated rate or some type of subsidy that can alleviate this increase in electrical energy in the factory,” he explained. And he added: “Although we have had meetings with part of the government We have presented some types of projects – such as electric generators or energy efficiency – and we have not been able to advance because they have not been viable for the government and much less the issue of the differentiated rate.
“In this situation where we have not been able to pay the last bills tWe have the threat of a power outage again, and that is why we have gathered here so that the government can guarantee that we continue to have electricity, to produce and discuss how to reach a fundamental solution to this situation,” he said.
Retamales recognized that this situation of not being able to face the increases in electricity rates is happening in other factories in the country.
Factory: machines with high consumption
“A factory that produces floors and coverings that are used for homes, for public works, for hospitals, for schools, it is absurd to have to face high energy rates taking into account that we are in the province that produces this type of energy,” he added.
The head of the Confluencia Cooperative fears for jobs and The operation of the factory is not fundamentally resolved, and the high electricity consumption that is transferred to the rate.
At the end of August of last year, Cerámica Neuquén also had the same conflict, due to high CALF rates, but without this year’s increases that affected all consumers. At that time the cut had been “without prior notice,” reported the cooperative workers, for a debt of an invoice of $7,197,375. In the factory they couldn’t start the machines.
“The cut not only threatens the continuity of production in the factory and the livelihood of 80 families, but, as it is without prior notice, it causes great consequences for the work machinery,” Retamales said at the time.
