The tire factory Fate announced the permanent closure of its plant in Virreyes, San Fernando, and the layoff of 920 employees, sparking protests from workers and unionists who entered the premises by breaking a fence. The government issued a 15-day mandatory conciliation and ordered the suspension of dismissals, but the company stated it would formally comply without resuming operations due to lack of inputs. The judiciary ordered the eviction of the property, as tension escalates with police presence.
FATE S.A.I.C.I. announced the total, definitive, and irreversible cessation of operations at its industrial plant in Virreyes, located at Almirante Blanco Encalada 3003, San Fernando, Buenos Aires province, laying off 920 workers. Founded in 1940 as Fábrica Argentina de Telas Engomadas, Fate faced years of crisis due to declining sales, Chinese imports that grew 11.9% year-over-year in 2025 according to Indec data, and conflicts with the Sindicato Único de Trabajadores del Neumático Argentino (SUTNA).
The announcement, made on February 18, 2026, triggered immediate protests. Unionists and employees, led by general secretary Alejandro Crespo, broke through a perimeter fence to enter the premises, where about 30 workers climbed onto the roof demanding compliance with the mandatory conciliation. "Until we return to our jobs, we will stay up here," said Adrián Aguilar, one of the protesters. Crespo stated: "We will stay here to defend the workers' interests. If the police enter to evict us, it would be a scandalous act".
Buenos Aires Provincial Police detained Crespo and 14 employees for trespassing, under orders from prosecutor Marcelo Fuenzalida. The judiciary ruled for the immediate eviction of the property, without restricting external protests. The national government, through the Labor Secretariat, issued a 15-business-day mandatory conciliation starting at 1:00 PM on February 18, suspending dismissals and calling for a hearing, though the union did not attend according to official sources. The Buenos Aires Province also issued conciliation, with SUTNA participation but not the company.
Fate, part of the Madanes family holding (owners of Aluar), stated it formally complied with the measure but would not resume production: "A mandatory conciliation was issued on a closed company. There are no inputs or tasks to perform." President Javier Milei tweeted criticizing the company without naming it: "Do they know the difference between being pro-market and pro-business? Defending cronies is for corrupt people who advocate violating freedom and property."
Reactions included support from the Unión por la Patria bloc for the workers and criticism of the government for import openings. The UIA regretted the closure due to unfair Chinese competition and loss of skilled jobs. The CGT linked it to the "failure of this economic program" and confirmed a 24-hour national strike on February 19 against labor reform. Axel Kicillof's government criticized: "The consequences of Javier Milei's model are evident: more than 900 workers left on the street today." Workers like Jorge Ayala, with 32 years at the firm, expressed distress: "Where the hell am I going to work again? I don't want to be a social dead."
