Argentina: Alejandro Santillán, secretary general of the Olavarría division of the Argentine Mining Workers’ Association (AOMA), said that Loma Negra’s decision to shut down one of its kilns for six months reflects weak demand caused by the slowdown in public works, according to Noticias Financieras news. He said that the mining sector was going through its worst period in decades, and that the measure goes beyond the usual maintenance shutdowns.
"While the kilns are shut down every year for maintenance, what is happening now is a direct consequence of the halt in public works," Santillán said. "There is no projection to the contrary, and in the specific case of Loma Negra, there are more than 750,000t outside the silos, so there must be even more."
The union leader described a similar situation at Cementos Avellaneda: “They have three cement bagging lines that used to operate 24 hours a day, six days a week; now, with just one line running a single shift per day, they can meet demand.” He warned that the situation would affect employment across the production chain.
“This new investor bought a debt, and now we have to see how it positions itself in the market and what will happen, but unfortunately, we face a very, very bleak outlook,” he concluded.
