From Nueva Prensa de Guayana:

Miners demand to revoke Mibam concession to Hecla
Written by Yralis Munoz Palma
Thursday, 24 April 2008

Miners also complained to the authorities of the Labour Inspectorate of Guasipati, which allegedly have collaborated on the continuing abuses in which the company has incurred Hecla. They assured that the formal request so reenganche of retrenched workers in addition to demanding that other orders layoffs are ineffective A group of miners at the company Hecla were presented at the offices of the Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam) in Ciudad Guayana National Executive to require the immediate revocation of the concession for gold mining industries to the transnational corporation.
The spokesmen of the miners said that the company has engaged in gross violations of labor laws in the country, besides constantly violates the human rights of their workers. Capitalizing on a meeting with the regional coordinator of Mines Inspectorate of Mibam, Luis Herrera, to denounce the dismissal "unjustified" Three workers, who assured that the measure meets a retaliation for statements made before the Minister Rodolfo Sanz, last Friday April 18 during his visit to El Callao.

Eduard Lopez, dismissed worker, said that the company will issue new ratings dismissal but until now the extent affected only three employees. "We are aware that dismissal is the way the company deals with streets, to avoid that we continue to denounce the continuing violation of our human and labour rights."

He pointed out that the directive of the transnational has imposed a series of safety regulations that contravene the human rights of workers, who are commandeered by security personnel of the company and by members of the National Guard situation in the opinion of the miners was not warranted.

"Men and women are forced to undress to be reviewed, and one worker who for some reason refuses to comply with the security order is suspended 15 days and in the worst case is dismissed, evidence that the abuse of power serving the company, which is why we demand the immediate intervention of minister Sanz in order to solve this problem "said Ruth Bichirino, one of the dismissed workers.

Miners also complained to the authorities of the Labour Inspectorate of Guasipati, which allegedly have collaborated on the continuing abuses in which the company has incurred Hecla. They assured that the formal request so reenganche of retrenched workers in addition to demanding that the other dismissals orders are null and void.

Workers deployed the National Executive to order a thorough investigation to the company Hecla to verify the multiple violations of the laws in which incurred by the transnational against their workers and the state.

Miners protest

But complaints from mining company Hecla are not the only who has received the holder of Mibam, Rodolfo Sanz. Last Monday April 14 a group of miners were presented at the headquarters of Mibam in Caracas to denounce Coacia evicted from the mine, located in the El Callao.

On that occasion the minister Sanz reported that the group, made up of 200 members of the miners Mining and civil associations of Villa bullets, was protesting on the outskirts of the Palace of Miraflores, from where they were transferred to the adjacent Mibam, with the intention of listen and offer solutions to their needs.

It also added that within the approaches highlights the cancellation of an award of approximately BSF. 50,000 and relocation to an area suitable requirement that make directly to the company Promotora Minera Guayana (PMG).

The owner of Mibam, noted that for 4 years, the miners were evicted from the mine Coacia, PMG by the company to begin operating its operations, with the promise that they would be reinstated to the mine.

Sanz The minister indicated that the president, Hugo Chávez, turned the Mibam instructed to bring forward some policies in order to provide an alternative productive activities and alternatives to gold mining industries.

He added that several companies that hold mining concessions with the Venezuelan State will be reviewed with the aim of establishing a work plan with independent miners and ensuring environmental conservation.

Visit in El Callao

Given the multiple allegations, the minister Sanz visited several mines in El Callao in order to establish working groups and define strategies for solving the structural deficiencies because of the gold mining by transnational corporations and small miners .

The initiative arose mainly for company directors Agapov and the Promotora Minera de Guayana (PMG) listen approaches and the needs of workers evicted from the mine Coacia, who were owed some compensation, which were cancelled only a group of gold miners operators in the same sector.

The minister Sanz he said that the company will consider debt to the miners and invest in the purchase of equipment for productive projects. "We are committed in Mibam, with resources approved by President Chavez and from the Regional Fund Guiana, in order to develop an alternative to mining gold," he stressed.

Ratified their commitment to seek answers to miners who worked for years at the mine Coacia of Callao, and thus enable the full operation.

Also, Sanz said that it will not allow the sale or transfer of concessions, without being consulted in advance before the Mibam. "We have given authorization that the company refrain from buying plants without authorization."

Answer official

Representatives of Mibam noted that investigated the allegations and in the coming days will give a response to workers. They indicated that the National Executive will continue to pursue policies that uphold the rights of miners in Bolivar state.