San Juan: Freight and Passenger Transport Chamber created to support mining

In order to group together different trade unions from the sector, consolidate mining agreements and negotiate workers’ wage parity, the Cámara de Transporte de Pasajeros de San Juan (San Juan Passenger Transport Chamber), headed by José Cano, and the Cámara de Transporte de Carga (Freight Transport Chamber), led by Pedro Ponte, will create a new entity so as to represent not only transport-related companies, but also companies from other mining-related services.

«The purpose is to create a Cámara de Servicio de Transporte de Pasajeros y Carga (Freight and Passenger Transport Service Chamber) purely on mining. The organization already has legal status and six members, but is just taking its first steps,» explained Ponte, in dialogue with El Inversor Energético & Minero.

Similarly, Cano added that «in March a call for mining-related service companies will be carried out.» «We will explain what the idea is about and once we agree, we will establish a commission,» he explained.

The two transport chambers (freight and passengers) grew explosively in recent years as a result of mining expansion. To cover the increased activity, entities encouraged the embodiment of the Unión Transitoria de Empresas, UTE’s (Transitory Company Union).

«We formed two UTE’s, one freight-related, which consists of six companies, and the other passenger-related, comprising 22 firms, all from San Juan. Both are equally important, they perform different procedures, but the two work on a regular basis,» Ponte explained.

At the same time, the chambers converge in Fundape foundation, which was established last year aiming at training new human resources for mining. «Training must be strongly encouraged because one of our few flaws is the lack of skilled labor,» the manager said.

This way, the foundation plans to deliver different training courses. «For example, we are launching a training course for drivers, supported by both the union and Barrick, which will provide us with driving simulators that they have in Veladero,» Cano said.

The goal, over the next two years, is to incorporate some 400 new drivers. The program will last for about three weeks and it will summon people from mining areas, a request from producers. «In the mid-term, there is a more ambitious idea, because we aim at delivering courses to welders and mechanics. So, we have already signed agreements with the province technical schools,» he concluded.