In the early hours of Thursday morning, a tragic incident unfolded at the university cafeteria, situated at the intersection of Frugoni and Enrique Rodó in the Cordón neighborhood of Montevideo, resulting in the death of a 46-year-old worker. The man, who was married with three children, fell while painting and succumbed to his injuries on the spot. This unfortunate event marks the third death of a construction worker so far this year, sparking widespread concern and outrage among labor unions and advocacy groups.
According to reports, the worker was employed by the company Cardozo Melo through a subcontract with Lauren SAS. The incident occurred when the worker, who was painting on a three-section scaffolding, fell from a height of over five meters, taking the scaffolding down with him. In response to the tragedy, the Sunca labor union has called for a nationwide strike on Friday, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, to draw attention to the alarming rate of workplace accidents and fatalities.
The Sunca union expressed its solidarity with the victim’s family and friends, emphasizing the need for a national dialogue on workplace safety and health. They also reiterated their demand for the establishment of a specialized prosecutor’s office to investigate labor accidents, posing the poignant question: “How many more deaths are necessary?” The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the community, with various organizations and stakeholders condemning the lack of adequate safety measures and calling for immediate action to prevent such tragedies in the future.
In a bid to address the growing concern, representatives from the Chamber of Construction, the Association of Private Construction Promoters, the Construction League, Sunca, and the General Inspection of Labor and Social Security will convene at 5:00 PM to analyze the situation and issue a joint call to activate maximum accident prevention mechanisms. Meanwhile, the Federal Association of University of the Republic Officials (Affur) has convened an emergency plenary session for 1:30 PM on Thursday, during which they will discuss the incident and potential courses of action.
The university’s cafeteria staff has decided to suspend services in protest, and the Ministry of Labor, as well as the Technical Police, are currently on the scene investigating the incident. The Affur has urged all university centers to take note of the incident and remain vigilant, awaiting further developments. In a show of respect and solidarity, the University of the Republic has canceled a scheduled event commemorating the anniversary of the arrival of COVID-19 in Uruguay, which was set to take place at 6:30 PM. As the investigation into the incident continues, the community remains in a state of mourning, calling for greater accountability and concrete measures to ensure the safety and well-being of workers in the construction sector.