The non-renewal of 282 contracts that expired this Friday at the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) begins to materialize the threat of reducing 30 percent of the agency’s staff. Within the framework of a 48 hour protest strikethis afternoon workers carried out an internal mobilization and planned to protest on the General Paz Collector and install a soup kitchen, but they were evicted by a major operation by the City Police.
“We carried out an internal mobilization through the Migueletes technology park and the idea was to end in the Collector. There were several media, we wanted to make the conflict visible. But As soon as we went out to the Collector, a huge operation by the City Police cut off the lane that we were leaving free for traffic and advanced on us with blows and kicks.. And they forced us to return to the Institute. We are holding the strike with a cordon on the door that prevents us from leaving and entering freely. It is absolutely illegal,” denounced a worker from Agrupación GranAte in dialogue with Anred.
The protest will continue on Monday, when a mass meeting will also be held to define the next steps.
“It is the end of the institution”
“They threatened to fire 900 colleagues, the workers’ mobilization had been stopping this madness,” said Cecilia Tórtora, a delegate of ATE and the United Front to Defend INTI. The entity has around 3,000 employees. “The dismissal of 30% of the staff is the end of the institution”he warned through a statement.
For this Monday, ATE estimates that about a thousand workers will participate in the assembly that will vote on combat measures. “We are in an extreme situation, they caused damage on purpose and they went on a trip,” Tórtora questioned in relation to the fact that “In hours of deep anguish, the President of the Institute is in Japan and the person in charge has submitted his resignation.”
According to ATE, Daniel Afione, president of INTI, left for Japan to attend a conference of scientists involved in the industrialization of lithium. “Afione was the head of Human Resources at an automotive company and, according to reports, he refused to allow INTI specialists in the field to travel, in order to do so himself. The person in charge of INTI, the vice president, did not show up for work in recent days and it is presumed that he resigned from his position,” the group reported.
From ATE they warned about this “virtual acephaly” and also complained against the closure of at least twelve headquarters in the interior of the country, which provided technological assistance to SMEs and entrepreneurs in Patagonia, Cuyo and the NOA.
The closure of “all locations that do not have a laboratory” was made official earlier this month, adding to rumors and threats of layoffs.
Attack on the industry
“INTI was an organization that was constantly fighting during the Macri administration. It was very hard. It was one of the organizations where they were throwing out the most. That is why there was a sit-in. It was one of the places where they destroyed the most. The INTI is one of the key organizations for the national industry and technological development. For governments that are dedicated to being agro-exporters, they are excessive. We are in that situation.”, Pedro Lynn – union secretary of ATE Capital – stated weeks ago in dialogue with Tiempo.
Since its foundation in 1957, INTI has played a key role for the national industry in terms of technological research and development, quality certification, technical assistance to companies and training of highly qualified human resources. In addition, it contributes to ensuring that products meet the quality and safety standards set forth by the regulations. “That is to say, “This will be a blow that will affect local consumers,” the workers warned.
