The essen cookware factory in Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe, laid off 29 workers due to declining sales. Pablo Cabrera, one of those affected, claimed his dismissal was unfair despite his dedication. These cuts are part of a broader economic slowdown in Argentina.
In recent days, the Essen cookware factory in Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe, laid off 29 employees as a response to a sharp drop in sales. This decision follows gradual dismissals since the beginning of the year, starting with one or two workers and escalating with more cuts in subsequent months, including four or five just two months prior to the latest round.
Pablo Cabrera, 36 years old and with five years at the company, shared his story in an interview with Radio con Vos. "I never missed work, I always worked the best I could. Before they fired me, they praised me, but they fired me anyway. There's no explanation," he said. Cabrera, who worked in logistics and packaging, insisted his dismissal was unfair as he never let the company down. Notably, the firm paid him the corresponding severance.
Cabrera, a father with a family of four, described the impact: "It's like they cut off your legs, in the sense that you had an organized life and from one day to the next, they cut that off." He also noted that the job market is "kind of tough," with everything "stopped" in the last two months, affecting both young people and older workers.
These layoffs at Essen are part of a troubling trend in Argentina's manufacturing sector, which remains in decline despite a slight 0.5% growth in overall economic activity in September according to INDEC. Factors such as slowing consumption, rising imports, and competitiveness issues have driven cuts across several firms, though at Essen they are mainly attributed to lack of sales.