SINPRO, EPM’s Largest Labor Union Warns The Battles Between Medellín’s Mayor & EPM’s Former GM Are Hurting The Utility Conglomerate

Empresas Públicas de Medellín’s (EPM) largest labor union, SINPRO has been vocal about their concern in the way EPM has been managed, and the actions Medellín’s mayor, Daniel Quintero has taken with regards to the municipally owned multinational utility conglomerate. When asked about the recent allegations made by Álvaro Rendón, the former general manager of the utility, fired by the Mayor, SINPRO President Olga Lucia Arango shared the following statement with Finance Colombia.

At SINPRO we have always been consistent with all city administrations and EPM in the sense of seeking political and social control so that the institutionalism and corporate governance of the company is respected.

The confrontation and the battle of egos between the manager of EPM and the mayor of Medellín deepens the institutional crisis of the second most important company in the country.

SINPRO President Olga Lucia Arango

Faced with this new chapter of the breakdown of EPM’s corporate governance by both parties, At SINPRO Professionals Union, which is the majority labor union in the company, we reaffirm our thoughts and alarm.

Today, when we once again see that these struggles are placed above collective interests, we ratify our position in favor of EPM and the city. Faced with this unfortunate moment, we make a new call to all social actors to defend EPM from the appetites of those who seek to permeate it with politicking and along with it, corruption.

When we talk about corporate governance, we continue to have as a basis the current EPM – Municipality of Medellín Framework Agreement, ignored time and again by the mayor and the manager, for which we have asked for many months, the latter to take a step to remedy the damage that, in competition with Mr. Quintero, he has done to the company.

We insistently asked the mayor to choose the manager of EPM through an open and transparent process, a campaign promise that he did not fulfill and for which he must answer to the citizens.

Mayor and manager, today on opposite shores, joined forces to trample and crack EPM’s historic corporate governance, to ignore the technical, financial, legal, environmental, and social rigors of the company, and to disqualify the communications sent by more than 200 managers.

Each one, in an attempt to win this fight of egos, not only takes over and jeopardizes the sustainability of EPM, but they also seek all kinds of alliances to try to confuse public opinion.

All these unfortunate events that are taking place in EPM, today echoed by portals, the media and social networks, we have warned since the 2019 electoral campaign about the use of EPM as a battle horse. Today the consequences are being seen.

From SINPRO we have made several complaints about the actions of this administration, among them on hiring, another front in this confrontation between manager and mayor, both supported by “political groups” that support one or the other.

Faced with this panorama, it is up to the Board of Directors of EPM to take advantage of this historic opportunity to recover and enforce the company’s institutional framework, for which we reiterate the request, not only of SINPRO but of all citizens, that a process be started recruitment with a talent scouting firm to find a person with the necessary skills to run a company like EPM.

At SINPRO we are attentive to put on the stage of citizen debate any attempt to politicize and harm EPM. We will always be there.

Also See: Interview: EPM’s SINPRO Labor Union President Olga Lucia Arango Expresses Grave Concerns On Utility’s Leadership, Political Interference