Calcatreu resumes production in Río Negro after labor agreement
The Calcatreu mining project, located in the province of Río Negro, will be able to resume production following a key meeting held in Ingeniero Jacobacci between the provincial Government, the company in charge of the deposit, and local stakeholders from the area. Confirmation came from Río Negro's Labor Secretary, María Martha Avilez, who noted that there were outstanding labor and safety and hygiene issues that needed to be corrected before authorizing the continuity of operations.
According to the official, the understanding reached includes concrete commitments from the company. First, the immediate hiring of 30 local workers for the project. In addition, another 30 people will receive training, with investment that could reach up to 2 million pesos per participant. The agreement also includes the regularization of the observations detected regarding safety and hygiene, and the reactivation of the local Working Group, a forum that once again includes the participation of the Peñi Mapu Mapuche community.
One of the central points of the negotiation was priority for provincial labor. Avilez was clear in stating that future job openings at the project must be channeled through the Río Negro Employment Service (SER) and municipal and union job boards, in line with established mechanisms. The official emphasized that before turning to hiring personnel from other provinces, the company must exhaust employment options with Río Negro workers.
The provincial Government also committed to maintaining an active role in monitoring compliance with the agreement. Avilez announced that oversight of hygiene and safety conditions at the deposit will continue, and that efforts will be made to strengthen the emergency response system for this type of project. In this regard, she highlighted the value of the Working Group as a space for ongoing dialogue, which should not only be activated in the face of conflict, but should function as a forum for anticipation and constant follow-up on every commitment made.
The official was emphatic in stating that the province does not view production and decent work as separate paths, but as goals that must move forward together: local employment, trained workers, and safe working conditions. In her view, the resolution reached regarding Calcatreu serves as a precedent that sets the course for other major projects being established in Río Negro, as the province expresses its willingness to support investments while at the same time demanding compliance with clear rules and guaranteeing legal, political, and institutional stability.