Hecla Mining of trance route to Brazil
Friday, May 23, 2008


Employees of the company Hecla of Callao, and representatives of communities surrounding the mine, closed for more than seven hours, 10-backbone that connects the people of southern Bolivar state-seeking an answer to the conflict began with U.S. transnational ago over a mes.En the company had repeatedly been warned and denounced by human rights violations of employees who were allegedly stripped to the output of each shift.

Natalie Garcia
Special Envoy
ngarcia@...

El Callao .- This closure, announced through this rotation, was launched at about 5:00 in the morning of Thursday, when those affected by the stoppage of Hecla and non-definition of their status-is threw the streets armed with placards and proceeded to settle in hopes that the authorities met.

It should be remembered that this conflict dates from April 18 when three workers showed him the holder of the Ministry of People's Power for Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam), Rodolfo Sanz, evidence of how the security of Hecla naked to employees upon leaving each shift and allegedly forced at times to make the "leap frog in" to verify that no part of the material wore gold was mined there.

Given such a situation the three who reported abuses were fired just two days after claims, even if weighed on the Labour Inspectorate inability to make decisions for the structuring of this ministry following the departure of Jose Ramon Rivero.

It was since then that started a battle between workers and transnational, always being on through the Mibam, which paralysed the company's activities in Block "B" belonging to CVG Minerva, to conduct the review of contract mining force.

Anime heated

During the morning of Thursday, there were many passions overwhelmed in the protest, however prevailed civility of employees who did not fall into provocations of anti-riot equipment from the National Guard (GN), which was not attacked the demonstrators by the presence of several media communication, not-so-miners say there had been a clash of unexpected results.

Despite the incident, and already aware of the responsibility they had, workers remained at the foot of struggle until after 12:00 noon, when the president of CVG Minerva and national director of audit of mines by Mibam, Luis Herrera, spoke by telephone with some leaders calling for the merger meeting.

Hours before the Mibam could decide the matter and the Ministry of Labour, in the hands of the inspector of Labor Guasipati, Rodolfo Jose de Vera, had held a meeting with a representation of employees and Hecla.

The meeting was touched points as the allegations of nudity, revising the listines since 2006 to date, and three grades of dismissal hanging over those who made public the abuses of transnational.

This conclusion was resolved to continue this Friday the Ministry of Labor, along with a representation of workers in its work to revise even the smallest detail of the company to identify weaknesses and to take measures in favour of those affected.

Terminate the contract

After several hours waiting at the headquarters of president of CVG Minerva finally engineer Luis Herrera appeared, as it promised debt, spoke "clearly and raspao" with the audience by insisting on the need to organize because what is coming an uphill fight in which he must grapple with another employer because next Sunday would be revoked the contract to Hecla.

Such statements were made in connection with a meeting with workers and not as a formal statement to the media.

Sources of Mibam reported that quite possibly the hiring of Hecla Mining pass into the hands of Russian Agapov group, which has serious interest in further expanding its investment in the region bolivarense and served as a strategic link in the policies of the government of President Hugo Chávez, who runs a programme of buying arms and aircraft.

Transcended that between Tuesday and Wednesday next Herrera will meet again with workers to shed light on other points and a resolution to give part of their problems. But it was the nearly four hundred were guaranteed jobs that have Hecla in El Callao. As for this pronouncement miners demanded the departure of the current directive of the company and changing the physical safety of the plant, who were responsible for naked and burn them by superior orders.

Ruby Chirinos, one of the dismissed, showed his joy by the position taken by the Mibam and thanked the attentions noted that although war was not won and must wait until Sunday to make it effective revocation of the concession.

Wait and nothing more

The Mibam indicated output Hecla Block "B" belonging to CVG Minerva, but not until next Sunday when they feel the bases and finally resolve this conflict was going on in a dark brown in just two weeks.

For its part the miners were satisfied and although such a decision seems more an attempt to escape the rule of foreign firms, on this occasion there are different elements such as violation of human rights of workers, who for more than six years were harassed wages and subjected to "hunger" as they call them, which barely covered a little more than minimum wage.

For this Friday is expected to continue inspection of the Ministry of Labour, if there was no truth in convincing answers within the time pautados employees threatened to re-close the road for longer.

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