Casino workers in Argentina’s Entre Ríos province are facing growing job uncertainty as operators begin scaling back table game operations, prompting union leaders to warn of a deepening labor crisis.
José Mariani, Secretary General of Sedapper, the union representing public service and gaming workers in the province, raised concerns this week after management at the La Paz casino confirmed that table games were being reduced. Workers at the Federación casino were also called to a meeting to receive similar updates, with employees reportedly preparing to mobilize across the province.
Mariani linked the cutbacks to broader structural issues, including operational pressures, governance gaps and a proposed pension reform that could further impact the sector. He warned that the situation is already affecting workers’ financial stability and now risks escalating into job losses.
He said: “They are starting to close the table game floors. It is concerning for the workers. One thing is the financial strain each worker is personally experiencing, and another is when you start threatening their source of employment.”
The union has also flagged a governance vacuum at the Instituto Autárquico de la Provincia de Entre Ríos (IAFAS), the provincial regulator, where a board position reserved for a worker representative remains unfilled due to the lack of elections. According to Mariani, the issue has been unresolved since last year despite a draft proposal from the governor to set a voting date.
In parallel, Mariani criticized a proposed pension reform that would gradually raise the retirement age from 57 to 65 over five years, arguing that the measure is unevenly applied and could result in discriminatory outcomes across the workforce.
Sedapper, which represents around 14,000 workers across Entre Ríos’ 17 departments, said it has struggled to establish dialogue with provincial authorities, warning that tensions could escalate if no resolution is reached.
José Mariani has served multiple terms as head of Sedapper, a union with province-wide reach in Entre Ríos that represents public administration workers and plays an active role in labor disputes affecting state-run sectors such as gaming
