A tire manufacturing plant in Córdoba, Argentina, Industrias del Fuego S.A. (IBF), has suddenly shut down its facilities and dismissed all 40 of its workers. The mayor of Coronel Suárez, Ricardo Moccero, called it “a total debacle for our economy.” The union claims the company violated basic labor rights by closing without opening negotiations and used private security and notaries to force the decision. “The employers are out of control. They want to deny that labor laws exist,” stated union delegate Miguel Díaz. The conflict escalated when police used force to evict the workers based on a false report alleging a worker was being held hostage inside the plant. According to union representative Germán Silva, “an anonymous complaint said we had a kidnapped worker in the plant. With that excuse, the prosecutor's office issued the order and the police came to throw us out.” IBF, which started as a medium-sized industrial venture focused on the domestic market, had faced financial difficulties, salary delays, and conflicts with its workforce over time. Union delegates noted that no formal crisis plan or official notice of closure was ever presented. Workers had previously warned of a progressive “emptying” of the factory due to a lack of investment. The sudden closure, seen by the union as the culmination of this process, was executed without legal mechanisms or negotiations, leading to the ongoing labor and judicial dispute. These dismissions are part of a broader negative economic trend in Argentina, where December has seen strikes, suspensions, and factory closures across the country. For instance, in the footwear industry alone, over 100 plants have shut down in the last two years, leaving about 10,000 workers jobless. Key factors include the opening of imports, contraband, and the rise of Chinese digital platforms like Shein and Temu. The crisis is deepening: at the start of 2025, the Brazilian-owned Grupo Dass closed its plant in Coronel Suárez, laying off 360 workers and citing falling sales and the impact of the import wave. While Argentina's footwear industry produced 120 million pairs in 2023, that number dropped to 100 million in 2024, with the most optimistic projections for the end of 2025 not exceeding 80 million.
