Labor Relations in Argentina

[el_expatriado]

Dude, are you running a conglomerate or something?

Nope, not even close. I'm just a normal entrepreneur who prefers to invest in small businesses and start-up companies. That means a lot more hassle, lawsuits, employee issues, etc. But the return can be much better. Most people take their savings and put them in the stock market, etc, but I prefer to invest in local businesses where I can go speak with the manager and have a say in the results.

Here in Argentina I have investments in an internet/software company, two restaurants, and two taxi companies. I have $0 invested in publicly traded companies like most people do.

You know it is possible to invest in Argentine small businesses for very little money and they can provide an excellent ROI if managed right. I highly recommend it. Just to give you an example... a restaurant can be purchased for $50-100k USD and a taxi for $40k USD. So it is not that big an investment and when run properly each of these businesses will produce 25%+ ROI in dollars.

 

[Roxana]

I agree with Delfina because if the potencial employer has a good network in the gastronomy business, will easily find out about the owners of A222 behavior.

 

[ElQueso]

She's definitely going to be upfront. In fact, she had a talk with the placement person at her school today and told her about her problems. She had the same advice, and when she looks to place her again, will talk to the people about the issue before sending Lucy on an interview.

I agree that it's best to be upfront about it - hiding it certainly doesn't do anyone any good.

 

[Patrickb]

Argentina is corrupt from top to bottom. I'm sure in most cases the employees are screaming because the employers are screwing them back. Argentina will never be fixed, so stop trying to do business there and just enjoy the ride!

 

[el_expatriado]

Argentina will never be fixed, so stop trying to do business there and just enjoy the ride!

This post is right on target. Those of us who do business here have to adapt to an environment where pretty much everything is broken. So the things that happen here are a direct result of a broken environment.

Union reps negotiate salary increases that owners can't pay, so owners start paying less to employees. Employees don't get paid what they want, so the employees start going to court. Owners respond by creating a blacklist. The cycle will go on and on...

In a true free market system with institutions that actually work and are fair, none of this would happen. But since we are in Argentina, we get to deal with this kind of craziness.

 

[PhilinBSAS]

In a true free market system with institutions that actually work and are fair, none of this would happen. But since we are in Argentina, we get to deal with this kind of craziness.

"Free market fairness" sounds to me to be an oxymoron. Dont know many places in the world where can expect ethics from unregulated laissez faire but there again cant legislate for them either.

But Argentina has a particularly pernicious version of the self destructive tendency in the form of "Viveza Criolla" - which all my Argentinian friends recognise to be a curse

see (en castillano) http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/argentina/viveza.htm or hit the google translate button!

not restricted to Argentina ...

The Head of the IMF telling Greek citizens to stop wingeing about austerity and pay their taxes made me smile.

 

[el_expatriado]

"Free market fairness" sounds to me to be an oxymoron. Dont know many places in the world where can expect ethics from unregulated laissez faire but there again cant legislate for them either.

Yes, but I was asking for institutions that "work and are fair". The market is the market. But if the institutions of a country are fair and properly regulate the market, you can avoid a lot of the things that happen here.

I read the note on Viveza Criolla, and it was very good. I'm convinced that if the legal system here really worked and was efficient that it wouldn't exist. In most countries you can't just cheat people without consequences. Here in Argentina that isn't the case unfortunately.

 

[scotttswan]

I'm convinced that if the legal system here really worked and was efficient that it wouldn't exist.

Talking about legal systems it amazes me that there are no trials by juries here in Argentina and when I've talked about them with locals they are horrified at the idea of a jury trial.

I've always thought that trial by jury could go a long way to help.

 

[el_expatriado]

Talking about legal systems it amazes me that there are no trials by juries here in Argentina and when I've talked about them with locals they are horrified at the idea of a jury trial.

I've always thought that trial by jury could go a long way to help.

I thought the same, but then the Argentines told me, "Yeah but what happens after I put a criminal away and then some judge releases him later on human rights grounds. He'll come back and kill me and my family."

So, even if juries were implemented, it would probably be hard to find citizens willing to serve on them.

 

[citygirl]

Interesting - I had no idea there was a blacklist here for employers to check.

Since there is, and obviously the restaurants are checking it, I would agree that your s-i-l shoud discuss it when they hire her. What's the worst that could happen? She's not working anyway so maybe this would be better (although she might be better served doing it with an expat owned/run company).

There are def terrible employers who take advantage of their employees. There are also good ones who don't. Same can be said of employees. Too bad employers and employees almost always treat one another like adverseries.