Mibam studying terminate granting Hecla
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The contract he signed with the Venezuelan state mining company Hecla U.S. could be revoked, according unveiled Luis Herrera, who until yesterday serve as national coordinator of the Ministry of People's Power for the Basic Industry and Mining.

Natalie Garcia
ngarcia@...

Picture William Urdaneta



In a tense meeting on Mibam put between a rock and a hard place to Hecla, which will answer today in Ciudad Bolivar The granting of the mining company Gold Mining Company-a subsidiary of Hecla-could be revoked because of violation of human rights workers who are stripped to the output of each shift and sometimes forced to make "the leap of the frog" to verify that they are not stealing material from the gold mine, located in El Callao.

In a tense meeting held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of People's Power for the Basic Industry and Mining, located at the Civic Center of Puerto Ordaz, the company, those affected and the governing body set position before the dismissal of three employees who reported the situation before the Minister Rodolfo Sanz, last Friday.

Amid these claims and the refusal of Hecla re-engagement of workers, the Ministry decided to leave the answer for today, clarifying that Hecla could leave at any time of the mine by the unrest that has remained with the community and the same for employees the failure of the company.

Revés business

Although originally the grant was not the central theme, it was put in doubt given the negativity of Hecla to obtain a solution. So do not be postponed was another response, however, the revocation will take effect once it inspected the plant in El Callao.

The miners reported that on Friday, after which the minister Sanz showed him photos of his companions, who were stripped of the security company with the backing of officials of the National Guard, Hecla began an administrative process before the Labour Inspectorate Guasipati, who turned three scores reported dismissal on Monday, just three days after his speech, two of whom were not working.

However, this measure would be illegal because the Ministry of People's Power for Work revolved instructions to stay all proceedings pending at the national level restructure the organization, following the appointment of Roberto Hernandez as the holder of this office.

Given the dialogue

For its part Carlos Sanchez, vice president of administration and finances of the company, commented that "we are looking to have a meeting to show our reactions and documents as evidence ... we are ready to meet to fix this point, but today we have been given little right to speak, by now the operations are normal and we have time to talk. "

Luis Herrera, national coordinator of Mines, noted that "the Mibam and the Ministry of Labour made an effort to ensure that the company respects workers' rights, but do not understand the real social problem that exists, so the contract transaction them can be terminated at any time, we are working on this point and on Thursday in Ciudad Bolivar will use to decide this point. "

Things were so hot that at a time of the call Herrera said: "we are flexible does not mean that we can not take drastic decisions." And is that from Friday the situation of the company was "in peak zamuro" because the minister Sanz announced the comprehensive review of the same to employees by undressing in front of their peers.

To make matters worse, Graff and Atilio Luis Tapia, attorneys miners, commented that Hecla plays with "humility of people and human dignity to ask Vincent to sign Contreras-an inhabitant of the community-that the chimney of the mine does not affect him or his animals, no matter what that means. "

Workers, meanwhile, were pleased with the measure today and will focus on the headquarters of Mibam in Ciudad Bolivar awaiting a response. There they will receive Rodolfo Sanz, like the miners of La Paragua.

Confirmation presidential

As already mentioned in this rotation, Luis Herrera will become president of CVG Minerva, the announcement will come today published in Official Gazette, workers expect better part of this administration official.

For now the situation is tense in El Callao and is expected to exit from Hecla is also confirmed, as it is-according to the aggrieved-the factor that keeps alive the confrontation. Today we will decide.

Government grant to withdraw Hecla Mining
Thursday, April 24, 2008
More than a hundred workers came from El Callao to file the complaint with the Mibam abuses being committed by the transnational against him.

Marelys Torres
Photo: Jesus Franco Yépez


Miners upset asked the Mibam to withdraw the concession to Hecla.

Trabajadores annoying calling for the nationalization of Hecla Mining to what they consider abuses against them and the communities surrounding the company and human rights violations and succeeded in government intervention, possibly we will withdraw the grant to the transnational A group of about a hundred people, including miners and community members Peru-Chile moved from Lima to the office of the Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam) in Puerto Ordaz, for representatives This release meet their requests, as previously went to the Labour Inspectorate of Guasipati and failed to get the answers they expected.


The demands of the demonstrators begin to withdraw by giving to the transnational and ordering the reenganche of workers who were recently sacked for taking their complaints to the holder of Mibam, Rodolfo Sanz.

This was stated Edgard Lopez, Rubi Chirinos and Jose Benitez, who reached the order of dismissal last Friday, after meeting with Sanz, but also six other workers have qualification for dismissal.

They assert that the company did not follows the law and violates the rights of the 350 workers who provide their services. They constantly receive verbal abuse and are forced to undress each time they finish their day in mines and who opposes this measure is suspended for fifteen days.

Another of the complaints revolved around the evasion of control regime imposed by the SENIAT, so you accuse this organization of being complicit in the actions of Hecla Mining in the country and allow the exhaust money can be used within of the nation.

Luis Herrera, Mibam received representative of the workers and the company, the latter refused to grant reenganche of people laid off so that, after a consultation with the minister, Herrera told them that national guideline for the problem was solved, what everyone interpreted as a withdrawal of the concession and mining will be absorbed, possibly by Minerva, said Atilio Tapia, an advisor to the employees of Hecla.

Tapia said that representatives of Mibam and Minpptrass bothered because the company refused to reduce the climate of unrest by workers and ordering the reenganche of whom were dismissed.

Speaking community

Mary Lugo, a member of the community Peru-Chile, Hecla accused of breaching their commitments towards the residents of this sector, since they do not want to give the Laguna area of Mina for them work, claiming it is contaminated, although the company Some ramps is mounted in the same area.