The state workers' union, represented by Rodolfo Aguiar, General Secretary of ATE Nacional, has expressed its strong opposition to President Javier Milei's attempt to privatize Yacimientos Carboníferos Río Turbio (YCRT). Aguiar emphasized: "We will not allow a Government that came in claiming it would guarantee the productive reactivation of the company to now want to sell it."
In a formal letter addressed to Milei, the union warned that the Government intends to repeal an existing Collective Bargaining Agreement, violating constitutional principles and international treaties. Aguiar stressed: "President Milei does not have the authority to make changes to the legal status of the company. We must defend the state character of the company to the last consequences."
Decree 115/25, published at the end of February, converted YCRT into a joint-stock company, prompting an immediate reaction from the union, which denounced this move as a step toward privatization. ATE highlighted the importance of YCRT in the economy of three cities in the province of Santa Cruz, where the company employs 2,200 active workers and more than 1,500 retirees.
Rodolfo Aguiar underscored that the privatization of YCRT not only undermines the rights of workers, but also jeopardizes the energy sovereignty of the country. ATE has made it clear that if this measure is not reversed, they will take the case to court to protect the interests of the workers and the state-owned company.
