Maybe they are getting close to moving on to working on gold now?

Government replaces aluminum company presidents - Venezuela

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Venezuela's ministry of basic industries and mining (Mibam) has switched out the presidents at three aluminum companies, local press reported.

The government has installed army general Carlos Acosta Pérez at the head of alumina producer Bauxilum, replacing engineer Henry Romero Sánchez.

At aluminum reducer Alcasa, César Aguilar has replaced Carlos Lanz and Carbonorca's new president is Juan José Moncada, who took over for Claudio Rondón.

It will take longer to replace the president at aluminum reducer Venalum, Isaías Suárez, who must first finish negotiations with the company's Japanese partners, according to reports.

The move is considered another achievement for workers who asked for executive-level changes at companies in the sector.

Recently, Mibam reached an agreement with employees to raise salaries 14%, 15% and 16% for workers with good, very good and excellent performance, respectively.

The unions at the four companies recently proposed that the government negotiate a single collective contract for all parties as of 2009 with the goal of bringing sector companies together into a single entity.

The four businesses form Venezuela's aluminum production chain and are all subsidiaries of state heavy industry holding company CVG.

Business News Americas