Buenos Aires, March 26 (NA) – The Ministry of Human Capital provisionally suspended the operations of 25 work cooperatives based in the La Matanza district of Buenos Aires Province this Thursday. Specifically, it concerns the La Matanza Operational Executive Unit. This data led the body to consider a possible link between the La Matanza Municipality and the operations of the entities. In this context, the resolution that ordered the suspension also established that the administrative investigation must determine the possible interference of the municipality or its officials in the functioning of the investigated cooperatives. Among the entities affected by the measure are various cooperatives identified as 'La Matanza' with different numbers, as well as the 'Fortalecer Ltda.' cooperative, all with a registered address at the aforementioned municipal dependency. The suspension is precautionary and will remain in place while the administrative investigation proceeds. Resolution 4664/13 of the body establishes that cooperatives must comply with the corresponding social security contributions, whether under the regime of self-employed workers or another legally enabled system. Another point mentioned in the investigation is that the 25 cooperatives had their address at Entre Ríos 3269, in San Justo, an address that corresponds to a municipal government office. The portfolio led by Sandra Pettovello made the decision after detecting alleged irregularities in their operation and possible violations of labor rights. The measure was adopted through the National Institute of Associativism and Social Economy (INAES), which also ordered the opening of an administrative summary to investigate the facts. According to the ministry, the entities may have 'denatured' the cooperative figure provided for in Law 20.337, in its article 2, by deviating from the principles of mutual aid and self-effort. For the ministry, there are indications of the use of the legal structure of cooperatives to evade current regulations and develop practices that would affect labor rights. The Case According to a sampling carried out on associates, INAES detected 119 contracted workers who did not have mandatory social security benefits.
