Crystallex International

This is an article from early this morning saying Khan came back Monday:

Labor and operational demands make Guyana a pressure cooker

November 10, 2010, 2:24 a.m. | hard to Sidor current opposes the contractual discussions are settled in Venalum differences between union and demand wage increases in red aluminum 70,000

tonnes per year production is estimated to close this year Alcasa.

50.00 tons is about the fall production of aluminum company in two years. Carmen Carrillo

Special World

On Tuesday, within hours of the morning, the industrial zone of Matanzas, where we find the basic industries, it dawned closed due to a protest by workers in steel and aluminum.

In Alcasa, the union led by its secretary general, José Gil, representative of the current ruling party identified with the governor of Bolivar state, Francisco Rangel Gomez, tried to take the presidency of the plant but could not because the workers and National Guard prevented him from access.

Gil decided to leave the presidential palace Alcasa, which is called Guacara, Puerto Ordaz, and from there make a symbolic takeover of the presidency.

They claim the output of Elio Sayago, current president of the largest producer of primary aluminum in the country, who last night after a meeting with the domestic sector consumer of primary aluminum, had to travel to Caracas, called by the Minister of Basic Industries and Mining and CVG president, José Fernández Salamat Khan, who arrived last Monday from his trip to China.

In Venalum, at 9:30 am, representatives Sutralum Sutrapuval and did not allow the passage of workers and employees they carried out a protest to demand wage increases, benefits are not nearly two years.

In Carbonorca Bauxilum and union leaders joined the protest to demand the payment of utilities, and Sidor, the union's president, José Luis Hernández, had a skirmish with the outsourced sector of the company, which has been constituted union and is used by industries in Sidor to undermine Sutiss actions in attempting to put in place to ensure discussion of the collective agreement expired earlier this year.

For his part, Henry Arias, director Alcasa Labor and Diego Castro, union leader, both of opposition, held a press conference to reject the actions being conducted by the official sector of the union, because they see Sayago does the work that needs company not to close.

Alcasa situation

Alcasa workers have been fighting for months for the Government not to close the company is operating with only two production lines, 3 and 4, because the 1 and 2 were closed in December 2009 and dismantled in January this year, as in the area where such equipment would be installed were an extrusion plant and rolling mills.

However, did not materialize this plan. Alcasa estimate that will end this year with a production of between 60,000 and 70,000 tons, as in previous years exceeded 120,000 tons.

This, of course, has meant a decline in revenue despite the workers' control and resources from the Chinese Government and the Fund, there is no sign, for now, a company's recovery, so that workers are struggling for not be closed.

However, voices of officialdom, with José Gil, head, general secretary of Sintralcasa, consider the plant's main problem is the administration of President Sayago.

Local sources report that since last week the current head of Alcasa, Elio Sayago, "identified with the self-management model advocated by Carlos Lanz, who was also president of the aluminum producer and facing the management model that would be posed by Gómez-Rangel removed from office, but the fact that José Gil was unable to take the presidency of Alcasa and the event has had little resonance in the sector, indicates that Sayago possibly even continue the helm of the company.

Case Venalun

In Venalum, sectors that were previously encountered as Sutrapuval (union which brings together professionals in the company), whose political pluralism was not in doubt, and Sutralum (grouping workers and workers), who identified until four months political power led by the Mayor of Caroni, José Ramón López, have put aside differences and have united to demand payment of overdue wage increase two years, as well as payment of utilities as well as that of the toys.

In the case of toys, Venalum board decided to request an investigation to the Attorney General's Office because they have detected a suspected premium of nearly $ 1 million and that trade unions would favor a particular company.

Sidor case

The outsourcing sector in Sidor, represented by Jesus Pinto, known as Carilis, and Hugo Bastardo, April 27 motion, held a press conference to address what they describe maneuvers Jose Luis Hernandez, president of Sutiss, who on Tuesday have attempted to cripple the plant to demand profits and the beginning of the discussion of the collective agreement.

Bastardo Carilis and noted that this was not the way to fight for labor claims and payment of profits would be made next week.

Sutiss in crisis

As if this were not enough, in Sidor, the Sole Union of Steel Workers and Allied (Sutiss) would be facing a lawsuit for Bs.F. 1,000 million by charging fees.

This has caused a crisis in the policy because the lawyer to demand, José Fermín, never have been hired during the tenure of Joseph Acarigua Rodriguez in front of the general secretariat, but would have been offered together Fermín José Gabriel Brito and Brito, workers Sidor and lawyers, to assist in drafting the current collective bargaining agreement.

According Acarigua Rodriguez never spoke of payment, but sending a communication Fermin, first Acarigua requesting payment of fees and then José Luis Hernández, when he became president of Sutiss, to ask the same payment.

In both cases, neither Sutiss leaders said the letter, so Fermin went to court to demand compensation for damages. The judge ruled that Fermin had to pay but that was a situation that the union should be resolved.

Although there is no final decision, Fermin told the media that Sutiss was suing for recovery of professional fees, to which José Luis Hernández stated that the debt was the fault of the previous management and therefore had to pay. So they decided to deduct workers a fee to cancel that debt.

Given this, Jhonny Hernandez, representative of workers' control and a member of the Bureau of Plan Number One Guiana Socialist, said he had a legal background that the union could not discount the salary without first obtaining the permission of the worker and that he had requested for president of the company would not be allowed from the Human Resource Management such discounts.

Amid this crisis, Jose Luis Hernandez was defeated management period, so that the adverse political forces, all the ruling, you are prompted elections, but at the same time the collective contract expired and now the workers have union representation that is dedicated to the discussion.

Sectors hard, radical, in Sidor, who believe that no collective agreement should be discussed now because conditions are not the best for this have promoted so-called outsourcing (sector workers who perform tasks vital to the plant but not in payroll and receive no benefits) are organized in unions and ask for contractual benefits up to 100%.

Of course, this has affected Sidor because you can not produce in the midst of chaos and has led to the departure of some managers, such as the supply. this area has to do with the rebar market, among other products, which are not available in the local market, unless you pay 80% above the price of the product, so you start to report the existence of a Sprocket mafia would operate from Sidor.

Meanwhile, the union is dedicated to solving its internal situation, while the private construction sector and the wholesale hardware store trying to resolve the situation without falling into conflict with the government and without being cut-off.

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