More than 200 Cipriani casino workers go on unemployment insurance
Construction of the future casino at the Cipriani Ocean Resort, Club Residences and Casino Punta del Este complex is facing a scenario of growing uncertainty, with more than 200 workers sent to unemployment insurance and a commercial dispute between the Cipriani Group and the construction company Criba, responsible for the project's execution. The complex's casino aims to become one of Punta del Este's leading gambling establishments, featuring over 300 gaming stations, a restaurant, bar, VIP lounge, and a design inspired by the tradition of European casinos, all within a development that also includes a hotel, residences, and a wide range of amenities, with a forecast of over 1,000 jobs once the complex is operational. However, before reaching that stage, construction is experiencing difficulties that are already impacting workers and the pace of execution, with an opening already postponed to 2027.
The differences between the companies were formally exposed in a hearing before the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Maldonado. According to Michael Pistone, general secretary of the National Union of Construction and Annexes of Maldonado, who spoke to El País newspaper, the construction company stated that it had been funding the economic resources for the construction of the tower for five months and for the hotel-casino for three months, and had reached a point where it could no longer continue to finance the work under that modality. Cipriani's position was different, as its legal representatives reportedly denied any debt to Criba and indicated that the problem was related to non-compliance at certain stages of the work, with accumulated delays during December and January that allegedly led to the application of economic penalties stipulated in the contract, while the construction company questioned this interpretation and argued that new tasks were incorporated and contractual modifications occurred during execution.
The dispute not only affects the construction schedule but also the labor structure linked to the project. Pistone noted that on one of the recent days, approximately 30 additional workers from subcontracted companies were sent to unemployment insurance, bringing the total affected to over 200, in addition to warning that further layoffs could occur until the continuation of the work is defined. Financially, Cipriani reported that it has allocated approximately 250 million dollars to the San Rafael project and another 45 million to the purchase and refurbishment of the building where its academy operates, bringing the accumulated investment to about 295 million. The first phase focuses on the casino, restaurant, bar, VIP lounge, an event area, and a beach club, with a subsequent phase adding the hotel, residences, and over 17,000 square meters of amenities.
The pace of execution was also conditioned by difficulties recorded during the conflict between the union and business chambers over the negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement for construction, with concrete supply being one of the points of discussion. The union denied that the interruption of work was due to its own decision and maintained that, once the measures were lifted, it was the construction company that stopped requesting the material, while the Association of Private Construction Promoters of Uruguay presented a different version through its president, Alfredo Kaplan, who affirmed that the interruption of supply had been part of the measures promoted by the union during the negotiation. Criba, which maintained that union actions affected the continuity of production, defended its management by stating that it worked with over 650 operators in triple shifts, including nights and weekends, and assured that it keeps its obligations with subcontractors and workers' fortnightly payments up to date. The company aims to launch the complex during the 2027-2028 season, although the evolution of the differences between both companies and the normalization of the construction pace will be decisive factors for the project to advance to its operational stage.
Tags: Cipriani Group, Criba construction company, SUNCA Maldonado, Cipriani Ocean Resort