Argentine grower-packer-exporter Salentein Fruit has cut 58 workers from a packing plant and is reportedly preparing to cut another 120 workers in coming days due to growing labor costs, local press reported.

Hermes Rojas, a member of the Salentein Fruit workers union, is quoted as saying the layoffs are a result of a disagreement over a new productivity measure that would apply packing quotas to individual workers. Rojas said that the cuts affect 58 workers but there are another 120 that the company is planning to cut loose.

Salentein follows fellow exporter Expofrut in its decision to start cutting workforce redundancies due to increasing costs. The apple and pear industry in particular is predicting a rough season ahead as the low dollar cuts export returns and fails to cover costs, FreshFruitPortal.com previously reported.

This round of layoffs has affected a packing plant in the community of Guerrico, in the Buenos Aires province.

Photo: rionegro.com.ar

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com