ITF union La Fraternidad represents the railway workers. It reported that the state company Trenes Argentinos, which is run by the ministry of transport, carried out a study on the Roca line, one of the most important from Buenos Aires to Chascomús. The study identified problems with the railway’s signalling and telecommunications systems.
The company then suspended rail services for safety reasons, without setting a specific date to reactivate them. It established a deadline of 20 days to create a work plan to remedy the situation and to set an approximate date for the resumption of services but has made no further announcements.
Julio Sosa from La Fraternidad, commented: "We’ve taken this industrial action because we are concerned as railway workers about the failure of Trenes Argentinos to meet their commitment to present the work plan and the reactivation date.”
In a letter to the president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, on 5 September ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said: "We are concerned about the suspension of such an important public service for the Buenos Aires area and the lack of communication with both rail service users and workers. Thousands of people are being affected daily, given that more than 120km of railroads are out of service.
“There is also the fact that the suspension is based on a study that indicates signalling and telecommunication flaws occurred only on the stretch of rails for which the company Ferrobaires is responsible, a situation that should be corrected.”
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