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He Home of christ announced that 28 of its 278 social programs throughout Chile they will stop operating between December 2020 and January 2021, “due to the economic effects of the pandemic”.
As reported by the institution itself on its website, the “painful decision” will force “reduce the care of 14,076 people in poverty and exclusion that they serve monthly by 938 (…) in all regions of the country, and that total 40 thousand a year “.
At the same time, this implies that the total plant of 3,700 workers is reduced by 450 people; a tremendously painful decision, but inescapable to face the current and future scenario “, indicated Juan Cristóbal Romero, executive director of Hogar de Cristo.
Millionaire extraordinary expenses
“The current economic, social and health situation has impacted us, generating additional expenses that we have had to assume and that will continue as long as there is no vaccine against the coronavirus, “he said.
“The resources that Hogar de Cristo manages come mainly from private contributions (45%), the State (37%) and from its own sources of income and recoveries (17%). For years, the financial contribution of the State to our programs has been declining, while we are demanding increasingly higher quality standards. To this is added that, due to the pandemic, quarantine and economic contraction, and Despite all the calls and generous contributions we have received, our income will decrease by 1,500 million pesos compared to what we expected this year“is detailed in the official statement.
The 450 laid-off workers are equivalent to 12% of the plant: “It is a tremendously painful decision, but inescapable to face the current and future scenario,” said Juan Cristóbal Romero.
“To fulfill the sanitary requirements established by law, only as of July 30 of this year, the foundation had had to pay extraordinary expenses for 1,400 million pesos, which are broken down as follows: 300 million pesos in sanitation, 366 million in personnel to replace infected workers and 743 million in personal protection items. This last item –which includes masks, face shields, gloves, protective bibs, alcohol gel, which are crucial to protect the health and lives of those received in the programs– represents an increase in total costs of 5% by 2021 ” he adds.
“The forcefulness of reality”
Juan Cristobal Romero He said that the Home has made “tremendous efforts made since March to keep all workers in their jobs,” but at this point it has “had to give in to the force of reality.”
“The current context makes it difficult to maintain existing care capacities without putting the foundation’s sustainability at risk, for which, responsibly and with great pain, it has been decided to reduce them, which entails a necessary reduction of our teams of workers“Romero explained.
He “tough adaptation plan to the new reality generated by the pandemic ” It also considers other elements, such as prioritization of “lines of work and territories where we can contribute more effectively”, and the “automation and digitization of processes, to which is added the remote work experience because of the pandemic for support teams, thus reducing costs as concrete as the maintenance and use of the headquarters of Central Station, in Santiago “, it is indicated.
