Argentina: Esquel Casino confirms mass layoffs

Casino de Esquel, located in the Patagonian city of Esquel in Argentina's Chubut Province, has confirmed the termination of all 50 of its employees after the mandatory conciliation period finished. 

The decision leaves workers without jobs, unpaid wages and no clear timeline for reinstatement.

The dismissals were carried out under Article 247 of Argentina’s labor law, which applies in cases of force majeure (a situation beyond the company's control or due to exceptional circumstances) and allows employers to pay 50% of the usual severance. The company has argued that the loss of its gaming license, a factor it describes as beyond its control, left it with no alternative but to shut down operations entirely.

Mario Muñoz, Spokesperson for the workers' group, said: "The company confirmed the dismissals under the same article, 247, citing force majeure reasons beyond the company's control."

He was direct about what the end of the conciliation period meant in practical terms, and added: "We are now former Casino employees, as of the last notification we received. There is no chance of returning to work."

Beyond the job losses, workers are also owed back pay, since Wages for March and days worked in April remain unpaid. Muñoz confirmed that the group has filed a collective injunction through legal counsel to recover the outstanding amounts.

Regarding what comes next for the venue, Lotería del Chubut, the provincial lottery authority, has confirmed that it is drafting tender documents for a new concession. Muñoz said: "The authority is working on putting together the tender specs for a new bidding process, and we hope that a new operator is secured in the short term."

Workers have been given informal assurances that rehiring former staff could be included as a condition in the new tender. Muñoz stated: "They gave us their word that the tender would include taking on former employees as a requirement, but we are waiting for that to be officially confirmed."