No agreement reached to restart Calcatreu
Negotiations over the labor dispute at the Calcatreu gold project, south of Ingeniero Jacobacci, failed to break the deadlock. The provincial government and Patagonia Gold will meet again, with the company committed to presenting a new proposal. Until then, the partial suspension of activities ordered last week remains in effect.
The origin of the measure
The Río Negro Labor Secretariat suspended part of Calcatreu's operations last Thursday after detecting violations of the local employment regime known as 80/20 (Provincial Law 5,804), in addition to health and safety observations that resulted in two citations: one for signage and safety equipment, and another specifically for local hiring regulations. The measure affects exploration, mine, extraction, crushing and screening, and civil works.
Río Negro Governor Alberto Weretilneck touring the mine area with Patagonia Gold officials. (File image).
Request rejected
Labor Secretary María Martha Avilez met with a Patagonia Gold delegation led by its CEO, Christopher van Tienhoven. The company sought the immediate lifting of the suspension, but the government did not agree. Both sides agreed to continue the dialogue. So far, the dispute remains unresolved.
The company's offer fails to convince the Province
Patagonia Gold had put forward the hiring of 20 additional local workers plus a contribution for training programs in Jacobacci. Avilez called the proposal insufficient: the Province is seeking 40 new hires and 30 trainees under an on-the-job internship program within the operation. The Labor Secretariat has already submitted 61 job profiles for evaluation.
The technical sticking point: mining experience vs. on-site training
One of the most debated issues is the company's argument regarding the shortage of Río Negro workers with prior mining experience. The government counters that, since this is one of the province's first major metal mining projects, the operation itself should become a training ground for local workers, not a reason to limit hiring.
Two figures, one law
Also in dispute is the actual compliance rate with the 80/20 rule. According to the Labor Secretariat, Patagonia Gold stands at 71%. The company, however, maintains it complies at 75%, with 233 direct employees, of whom 175 are from Río Negro and 109 reside in Jacobacci. The gap between the two calculations—likely stemming from different criteria for the calculation base—will be part of the technical discussion that must be resolved before the dispute can be settled.