FTIL Suspends Measures in Conaprole Dispute as Talks Advance
The Federation of Workers in the Dairy Industry (FTIL) suspended measures that had been in place since October 5. The decision followed a tripartite meeting involving the union, Conaprole and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, where the parties reached preliminary agreements on several issues.
The dispute concerns 25 workers connected to two companies that had supplied product-replenishment services for Conaprole in large retail stores. Their service contracts ended, prompting FTIL to raise concerns about the workers’ employment continuity and conditions. The next round of talks is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13.
The suspended measures had included two-hour stoppages by each worker and shift, limits on overtime, and the possibility of broader industrial action. FTIL had previously declared a national dispute and warned that action could affect parts of the dairy supply chain, including production and exports. No disruption to milk collection had been reported before the latest negotiations; the immediate effects were in distribution.
According to the record of the negotiations, progress was made on transferring workers to a new service provider without a probationary period and on the salary terms proposed by MODE. The parties also discussed a mechanism under which Conaprole would cover, for six months, the salary difference sought by FTIL. The financial arrangements for workers leaving the existing providers and joining the new company remain unsettled.
Conaprole has rejected the description of the situation as dismissals carried out by the cooperative. It says that it uses outside providers for some commercial-replenishment activities and changed those contracts for reasons related to service competitiveness. The cooperative maintains that the affected workers were employed by the service companies rather than by Conaprole. FTIL takes the view that the change of providers affects workers who had carried out continuing tasks linked to Conaprole’s products.
The dispute has been watched by producers and dairy companies because Conaprole is receiving about 6.1m litres of milk a day during the early-October spring peak. Milk must be collected daily because it is perishable. FTIL’s measures originated in supermarket replenishment, not in milk reception or industrial production, but the union’s structure allowed the action to extend to other parts of the industry. The suspension remains in force while the parties address the outstanding economic issue.
