Unions: Convenient now to complete the permanent return of Revemin, Las Cristinas or any other project to CVG-Minerven

VHeadline Venezuela News reports: Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) gold mining subsidiary CVG-Minerven union leaders Jesus Guerra, Julio Salazar and Jose Caraballo have come out strongly in opposing moves towards unity on a standard employment contract within the industry.

Guerra, Salazar and Caraballo agree with a proposal for the unification of labor contracts for the miners in the south of Bolivar State but that it is not the best moment to implement any change since some of the unions are in the process of renewing their management structures and, because of the uncertainty, it is difficult to have any open discussion on the issue.

Writing in the Sunday (February 1) edition of the regional newspaper, Correo del Caroni, reporter Natalie Garcia quotes Jose Caraballo as saying: "The feelings of all the workers is for unification. We all want to have the same socio-economic benefits for all. That's our goal, however, we all know that everything has its proper time ... and this is not it."

"According to the law, the unions may not request labor changes or initiate demands while internal elections are taking place, so let's follow the rules," he added. "When new union leaders are elected, it will be legal to proceed ... that's the solution, according to the law."

In statements, Sinmioro (Industrial Gold Mining Workers Union) secretary general, Elby Soto has described the current management at CVG-Minerven as "ill-fated," but Jose Caraballo says that "there are different opinions between workers, but when we see that the negative opinions are in the minority, very small, we know that we're on the right track."

Caraballo adds: "During this administration, the company has paid Bs.F 24 million ($11.16 million) in labor liabilities, i.e. all weekend overtime since 1991 ... this shows that the workers are getting payments that we thought we had already lost. There are still some payments overdue, but the good thing is that the workers have not been denied the company's willingness to settle outstanding debts."

"All of the basic industries are suffering from the crisis, yet CVG-Minerven has been paying labor debts and it's been hiring personnel ... just lately they hired 60 people ... so, for the populations in the south that have slow development, we can see that management wants them to develop faster. We also see that they're training personnel, since, as CVG-Minerven grows, it'll need more people. It's a privilege for us to be at the head of the southern mining communities."

In similar fashion, Jesus Guerra points out that "for the first time there's a political willingness, and in this case CVG-Minerven is about to become the spearhead of economic transformation in the south of Bolivar State, which will bring some balance to the national economy. We believe that the 'reconversion' of mines and treatment plants ... which have been in the hands of transnationals ... is especially appropriate in these times when economies are taking refuge in gold to face the global crisis."

Talking about the reversion of the Tomi, Victoria and Sosa Mendez mines to the Venezuelan state, Guerra says that "(the government) concluded that it's in the strategic interests of the State to manage its own gold resources, because, one can only guess what the transnational companies' attitude would be if they had (control over) the gold in these times of crisis. Since, in the good times they never made any significant social investment, never made any effort to do something, they would of course do even less, and would save the gold to safeguard their own interests."

For Guerra it's time for Venezuelan workers to exploit the mines so that the benefits remain here ... "In Venezuela there's not only the technology, but also the capacity for everyone ... especially in this area ... to develop any scale of project, from small mines up to the size of Las Cristinas."

"We believe that it's convenient now to complete the permanent return of Revemin, Las Cristinas or any other project to CVG-Minerven which should become the matrix to ensure benefits for the State and all the people."

Sinmioro's labor director and organization secretary Julio Salazar adds: "We're committed to this process and we're grateful for the policy to revert companies like Revemin and Jin Yan to State ownership. We believe the company is complying with the social agenda ... something that the transnationals never did ... CVG-Minerven is doing it with this new management."

After seeing a recent increase in CVG-Minerven gold production, President Hugo Chavez said that gold production will rise from slightly over 4,000 kilograms to 8,000 kilograms during 2009 and Caraballo believes that it is indeed possible due to the number of mines that have been reclaimed by the State and which are now under the tutelage of the CVG mining subsidiary.

Jesus Guerra adds that "under present conditions, the workers are happy since it seems that, through politics, the Revolution has finally arrived in this sector ... we're ready to channel all our efforts and to commit ourselves as a workers' vanguard to take on the responsibilities of (Venezuelan) people that knows how to exploit and administer our own resources."

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