Massalin Particulares is the Argentinean subsidiary of the Philip Morris International tobacco company. This subsidiary has two cigarette production plants: one in Goya, province of Corrientes, and the other, the leading plant, in Merlo, province of Buenos Aires. The Merlo plant is one of the most modern of its kind in Latin America, but in terms of security… it leaves a lot to be desired.

On May 27, four cars drove into the plant vehicle lot, sidestepping the plant’s security measures. That was the first failure in the security system, if such system in fact exists.

Nine people then descended from the cars and walked right into the shipping area, with absolutely no security check or authorization, but clearly in connivance with someone inside the plant. Second failure in security.

As soon as they were inside these strangers began to bully workers in the sector to “convince” them to relinquish their membership to the Union of Tobacco Workers. The surprising thing -for lack of a better expression, because at this point nothing could surprise us- is that these “strangers” new everything about the workers, down to the most insignificant detail, including the number of their work file, which is a confidential document that only management has access to. Third failure in security, or third act of connivance.

This incident can raise a number of questions. We leave that up to the reader. What worries us is the security of the plant, because like it or not, hundreds of jobs depend on it, and what worries us even more is the physical integrity of the workers and their union freedom. In sum, a number of elements that, judging from the facts, the company is apparently not worried about.