Overview
- Argentina’s government has formalized the shutdown of at least 900 technical services at INTI, the state institute that tests, certifies and trains for industry.
- INTI leadership, following Tuesday’s board meeting, said the deregulation ministry demanded a new structure with more than 700 layoffs, and union and internal sources warned the target could reach 1,400.
- INTI president Miguel Ángel Romero said mass dismissals would not be signed under his watch, and workers launched protests and a plan of action with a press conference at the Villa Maipú headquarters.
- Industry experts warn the cuts remove state-backed certification used for exports and safety, including the country’s only elevator testing lab, food pathogen analyses, and training for welders needed in energy projects.
- The institute has already shrunk from about 3,100 workers in late 2023 to roughly 2,400, and independent analysts report a steep real budget drop since 2023 that threatens nationwide lab coverage.