The company acknowledged that it owes 30% of the March salaries of the workers, who are carrying out a 24-hour strike.
The workers of Copsa are carrying out a strike for unpaid salaries in the midst of a crisis that affects the suburban transportation in Uruguay, and the company recognized debts of 30% of March salaries. This week the missing money would be paid from the sales income, while they wait for the government to approve a loan or advance from the trust of 14 million dollars for the sector that will allow the general situation of the company to be regularized.
He public transport sector Uruguay, particularly the suburban area, is going through a delicate moment that affects companies in different ways. In the case of Copsa, and according to the company, the situation led to it being prevented from complying with its salary obligations and, as of today, it still owes 30% of the March salary to its workers, as confirmed by the general manager Javier Cardoso to Radio Carve.
The shortfall would be paid during this week “as income is received,” he assured. Meanwhile, the workers gathered in the National Union of Workers and Transport Workers (Unnot) they carry out a 24 hour strike and they claim not to have received any “payment form” from their employers.
Meeting with the MTSS while waiting for the loan
What they want Copsa, something that will be on the table in the meeting that will be held today with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) and the Unnot, is that the government makes possible a bridge loan or advance payment of the trust that is intended for the suburban transportation sector – which, in total, is around 14 million dollars – which, beyond allowing the end of the compliance with salary obligations, contributes to regularizing the company’s financial situation.
From the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MTOP), for their part, maintain that although the portfolio is the regulator of the transportation system, it is not appropriate that it should pay the workers’ salaries. At last week’s meeting, they confirmed that Copsa had good ticket sales in March, so they should have the resources to pay the salary percentage owed.
For its part, the suburban bus company maintains that the current value of the fares is not enough to cover the costs. According to Cardoso, who is also executive secretary of the Business Chamber, metropolitan transport “should be seen as a unit”, regardless of whether it is urban or suburban. Since both “compete” there should be “identical conditions” regarding the pricing system.
He also mentioned that Montevideo performs subsidies to the ticket, but the metropolitan sector does not and this leads to the prices “being different.”
Source: Ambito
