Over 40 workers at Casino Trewelyn in Esquel, a city in Argentina's Chubut province, were terminated on March 30 and 31 in the midst of a mandatory conciliation process ordered by the Secretary of Labor, adding a procedural dimension to an already ongoing labor dispute.
The employees, represented by the Esquel Commerce Employees Union, have since initiated legal proceedings to recover unpaid March wages and full severance payments.
The company offered to settle at 50% of the legally required compensation, claiming its operating concession had been revoked. That version was publicly contradicted by Lotería del Chubut, the provincial gambling authority, which stated the license remained valid.
The contradiction has deepened uncertainty among the roughly 49 affected families, some from the neighboring town of Trevelin.
Sebastián Pérez Rienzi, a dismissed worker, said: "They told us we were fired and that the closure was a done deal because Lotería had taken away the concession, but we haven't received any formal notice and the Lotería regional delegate in Esquel says the license is still active. There is a lot of confusion and uncertainty."
A conciliation hearing scheduled by the Secretary of Labor collapsed after Trewelyn's representatives failed to appear, leaving the process in limbo. In response, Esquel Mayor Matías Taccetta negotiated an emergency economic assistance package from Lotería del Chubut for the affected workers while the legal and union proceedings advance.
Governor Ignacio Torres also met directly with workers earlier in April. The outcome of the judicial process will likely depend on the disputed concession status and whether the timing of the dismissals constitutes a violation of the active conciliation order.
Mandatory conciliation orders in Argentina typically prevent layoffs while negotiations are ongoing, making potential violations subject to legal challenge
