The silent stance of management has generated a lot of uncertainty and anguish among employees. In recent days, workers have started receiving dismissal notices, citing 'force majeure causes and lack or reduction of work not attributable to the employer,' when in reality they have emptied the shelves. We are told that the majority of layoffs affected employees with considerable seniority, of 10 years or more, even people with over 20 years of seniority, which contradicts the economic crisis situation alleged by management, as they selected personnel with severance pay amounts higher than average. As a warning sign, the salary they received in November was paid in three installments. Following the closure of several branches in the interior of the country, layoffs and upcoming closures in Buenos Aires City are now being added. By ANRed. Workers report that since the beginning of the year, they have no month with fully paid social security contributions. Workers have started to receive dismissal notices in recent days. They did not follow the steps for a preventive crisis request (which has not yet been declared), nor the priority of laying off those with the least seniority first. And since September inclusive, they stopped contributing the full amount. More than 300 jobs are at risk. There are no official statements; they say rumors are circulating, but there are no certainties as to whether they are dealing with potential investors, potential buyers, or are directly aiming for a closure through fraudulent bankruptcy. 'With the objective of being able to achieve the reinstatement of the laid-off,' they affirm and call from the pharmacies. The Adef union has still not shown up, waiting for the number of laid-off to be greater to then see what to do. From the pharmacies themselves, with the fear of receiving the notice, workers believe they must organize and call for self-convened assemblies to define a plan of action. 'It is important that the organization includes everyone, both the laid-off and those who continue to work, to stop the layoffs, challenge the causes, fight for reinstatements or for the severance pay amounts that really correspond.' They also point out that progressively the company was reducing its stock of products until it currently has its warehouses almost empty and causing a shortage of almost 140 medicinal specialties. They allege that a significant part of the loss of sales is not due to people not wanting to buy, but because the company is not bringing the products, which would lead to forcing a bankruptcy. Despite this, they are still billing a considerable amount, which would be much higher if the company brought the missing merchandise. The priority is to stop the loss of the source of employment, and for this, joint action is important, beyond individual legal action. They also offer an indemnification according to article 247 of the Labor Contract Law, which is 50%, without having met the legal requirements to apply this article instead of article 245, which corresponds to 100% indemnification. The famous chain of generic drugs, of Mexican origin, which has had subsidiaries in our country since September 2002, has joined the wave of layoffs and branch closures.
