Casino workers in Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province convened an urgent executive board meeting amid delays in sector-wide collective bargaining talks and unresolved wage and benefit claims.
The Association of State Casino Employees, AMS, announced the meeting after formally requesting the immediate opening of sectoral paritarias with the Provincial Ministry of Labor.
According to the union, the request was submitted on January 22 and seeks to address a series of pending issues that remain unresolved ahead of the closure of 2025 wage negotiations.
Among the priorities outlined by AMS are the equalization of compensatory bonuses, the formal conclusion of 2025 paritarias and an increase in hardship allowances. The union is also pushing for an adjustment to productivity bonuses, proposing an increase from 8% to 12%, alongside broader discussions on the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement.
AMS further raised concerns regarding structural changes within the provincial gaming sector, including modernization initiatives and the workforce’s participation in what it described as the emerging digital and economic transformation of gambling activities.
Health coverage was also cited as a critical issue, with the union pointing to what it characterized as a crisis in medical service provision under the provincial health insurer IOMA.
In addition to employment and health-related demands, the agenda includes a proposed debt relief program for provincial employees, reflecting broader financial pressures faced by public sector workers amid ongoing inflation and cost-of-living challenges in Argentina.
The executive board meeting is scheduled to determine the next steps should labor negotiations fail to advance. The union stated that the urgency of the discussions reflects the accumulation of unresolved claims and the absence of concrete responses from authorities to date.
Buenos Aires Province oversees one of Argentina’s largest land-based casino networks, with gambling operations and employment conditions regulated at the provincial level. Labor negotiations in the sector are closely monitored by both operators and policymakers due to their potential impact on casino operations, public revenues and workforce stability.
AMS formally requested the urgent reopening of sector-wide wage talks on January 22 after receiving no response from the Buenos Aires Province Ministry of Labor
