Illegal workers arrested at Posco Argentina operation

Together
with
Canada’s
Lithium
South
Development,
Posco
is
developing
the

Hombre
Muerto
lithium
project.
Phosphate
from
Hombre
Muerto
is
transported
by
train
to
a
plant
in
Güemes
for
processing. 

Following
the
arrests,
the
Asian
miner
issued
a

statement
saying
that
the
company
did
not
directly
employ
the
workers
as
they
were
subcontractors. 

“It
is
important
to
emphasize
that
all
of
them
entered
lawfully
and
had
no
criminal
record,”
the
communiqué
reads.
“Sanctions
will
be
applied
to
any
contracting
company
that
does
not
comply
with
regularizing
the
situation
of
its
employees.
It
is
important
to
clarify
that
all
direct
personnel
of
Posco
Argentina
work
in
compliance
with
the
laws
and
regulations
of
the
country.
The
company’s
actions
are
guided
by
the
highest
ethical
and
legal
standards,
which
is
why
we
deeply
regret
this
situation.”

In
response
to
Posco,
the
Salta
Chamber
of
Mining
Companies
Suppliers
(Capemisa)
released
a

statement
saying
its
members
support
all
the
controls
and
inspections
carried
out
by
authorities
as
laws
must
be
complied
with
at
the
national,
provincial
and
municipal
levels. 

Capemisa
used
the
opportunity
to
make
some
observations
related
to
the
way
the
province’s
mining
industry
is
operating. 

“Lately,
foreign
companies
win
tenders
quoted
at
lower
values
than
their
real
costs
to
not
pay
taxes
in
the
country.
They
are
also
notorious
for
pretending
to
be
local,
using
partners
who
clearly
do
not
even
have
a
mining
background
nor
the
ability
to
perform
mining
work
or
who
act
as
proxies
to
pretend
to
be
a
local
company,”
the
release
states.
“These
irregularities
were
reported
on
different
occasions
to
the
relevant
authorities
because
they
cause
serious
damage,
ruining
Salta
companies
that
fairly
compete
by
paying
taxes
in
the
country
and
employing
regular
workers.”

The
Chamber’s
document
says
that
its
members
are
open
to
working
with
authorities
and
mining
companies
to
implement
a
supplier
and
tender
valuation
system
similar
to
what
exists
in
Chile
so
that
this
type
of
situation
doesn’t
happen
again.