Layoffs halted at PUMA factory in La Rioja
The crisis in Argentina’s footwear industry, driven by declining demand and the opening of imports, led to the dismissal of 23 workers from PUMA’s factory in La Rioja in mid-February.
Economic policies implemented by the current liberal government have caused significant losses of factories of all sizes, resulting in layoffs. Among the most notable cases is the permanent closure of the Brazilian company DASS’s plant in Coronel Suárez, Buenos Aires, where 300 workers were dismissed, as well as the termination of 130 employees at the BICONTINENTAR factory in Chivilcoy, also in Buenos Aires province.
In the case of PUMA’s factory in La Rioja, intervention from the provincial government helped bring all parties to the table and reach an agreement, with the consent of UTICRA, the labor union representing footwear workers. As part of the agreement, PUMA committed to maintaining all jobs for one year, implementing a one-hour reduction in the workday, and adjusting salaries proportionally to the hours worked.
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