Strike action ends in Uruguay
The National Association of State Casino Workers (ANFUCE) has announced that it has decided to end the strike and other union measures, so that, activities at the State Casinos in Uruguay can resume.
The National Association of State Casino Workers (ANFUCE) has announced that it has decided to end the strike and other union measures, so that, activities at the State Casinos in Uruguay can resume.
In the agreement, it was decided to consider the workers’ proposals, as they will engage in dialogue and rounds of negotiations, Cecilia Alegre, the Secretary General of ANFUCE, told the Uruguayan newspaper El País.
Alegre said that that “the strike has been lifted as a gesture of responsibility and good faith, betting on a dialogue that will improve with the Director of Casinos, Fernando Estévez.”
Furthermore, the union leader highlighted that improvements had been made in budgetary aspects.
One of the primary points of contention has been the uncertainty surrounding online gambling regulation. According to Alegre, “workers will be included to ensure that they do not lose their income.”
Discussions were held with the Minister of Economy and Finance Gabriel Oddone and Fernando Estévez.
The union indicated that with dialogue reopened, “a new phase of work is beginning, focusing on the development of our advocacy platform, seeking technical advice, and monitoring the progress of this issue in Parliament, with the aim of protecting jobs and workers’ rights.”
ANFUCE declared a labour dispute and announced an indefinite strike at the end of 2025 declaring a conflict in response to the violation of labour, salary, and functional rights of the workers. They also resolved to “reject budgetary modifications adopted without collective negotiation, in violation of current regulations.”
In the statement, the union expressed that there has been a “covert salary cut and an attack on the administrative career, which directly affect the stability and functional development of the workers.” Therefore, they demanded “concrete solutions for temporary workers and real guarantees of job stability” as well as the “involvement of workers in the exploitation of online gambling and the benefits it generates, since it concerns the future of their source of employment.”
Additionally, the association expressed rejection of the current director of Casinos, Fernando Estévez, “due to the lack of dialogue, unilateral decision-making, the simulation of collective bargaining processes, and disrespect towards workers and their representatives, understanding that his actions deepen the conflict and deteriorate labour relations in the agency.”
At the beginning of December, ANFUCE issued a statement denouncing “serious irregularities” in the current administration.
ANFUCE also blamed the imminent regulation of online gambling for the growing conflict.
“Online gambling must be approached comprehensively, establishing clear objectives and a uniform form of exploitation, and the state cannot be absent from the discussion, much less exclude from it the workers who have worked with these types of games for years and have acquired specialization, both in the modalities of casino games and in strategies for controlling gambling addiction and preventing money laundering, which are currently priorities for our agency,” the union said.
The current director of the General Directorate of Casinos, by not allowing the participation of employees in the new online gambling project, “denies the possibility of labour reconversion. But even more seriously, he jeopardizes the very source of employment,” ANFUCE said.
