Operator News
Argentina – Buenos Aires facing casino strikes over closures
By Phil - 19 January 2018
Casinos workers have agreed to a 24 hour long strike after Governor María Eugenia Vidal’s announcement that she will close three casinos and a bingo hall in the province of Buenos Aires.
Earlier this month Vidal announced that she would cancel the casino licences of Mar de Ajó, Valeria del Mar and Necochea, as well as the Codere bingo hall in the city of Temperley in order to reduce gaming. Those affected by the closures will be relocated.
Unions have joined forces in order to organise the strike in what is likely to be the first of several as the government seeks to restrict gaming in the province.
The protest was announced jointly by the Association of Management and Maintenance Services for Casinos (AMS) and the Association of Employees of National Casinos (AECN) after meeting in Mar del Plata. The union leaders said that the strike had been organised in response to “the lack of response” from the Buenos Aires government to their claims.
“The fight will continue until the future of the workforce is clarified,” said Roberto Páez, head of the (AMS). Meanwhile The General Secretary of the Association of Employees of National Casinos (AECN) Daniel Méndez said, “We want to sit down with the governor and discuss everything, the terms and conditions which are 440 pages long, which outline the terms of the licences and there are things that do not seem clear to us, we think there is a significant attack underway to favour private capital,” he said.
There is growing suspicion however amongst union leaders and workers that the government could be seeking to privatise the three state owned casinos by modifying article 34 of the provincial constitution. In a televised interview with Head of Lottery and Casinos of the province this week, Matías Lanusse, seemed to question why the state of Buenos Aires had to pay for the salaries of casino workers as well as other running costs. Article 34 establishes that gaming in the province cannot be privatised.
However, Lanusse said, “It is an issue that we should review or should review in the legislative domain.”
