17 May 2017
Workers strike at Amazonian cement plant 17 May 2017
Brazil: Over 500 workers have gone on strike at Cimento Nassau’s Alexio cement plant in Amazonas. The dispute is over back pay and better working conditions, according to the Amazonas em Tempo newspaper. The management of the plant is attempting to start negotiations.
Jordan: The Labour Ministry has helped to resolve a dispute between workers and management at Lafarge Jordan. Following several days of work stoppages the employees have agreed to sign a collective work contract and resume work as normal, according to the Jordan Times. In return workers at the Rashadia cement plant will receive a bonus payment at Eid Al Fitr and then pay increases based on performance. The parties have also agreed to let the ministry lead future talks on early retirement and workers’ association bans on employees.
UK: It is hoped that a Euro23m upgrade project at Hanson’s Padeswood cement plant will be completed in early 2019. A planning application will be submitted to the local government in the summer of 2017 following consultation with local residents. The plant intends to install a new vertical roller mill to grind cement and to build a new rail loading facilities at the site.
“The plan is to mothball three of the old mills and install a new vertical roller mill capable of grinding up to 0.65Mt/yr of clinker. The new mill will be fully enclosed in a building, minimising noise and reducing the potential for escape of cement dust,” said plant manager Steve Hall. The project also includes construction of new cement silos alongside the existing railway line to load trains for delivery. At present the rail link is used to bring in coal to fire the kilns. In future, three trains a week will be despatched to Hanson’s depots in London, Bristol and Scotland or around 15% of total cement production.
India: Shree Cement’s revenue rose by 4% year-on-year to US$442m for the quarter that ended on 31 March 2017 from US$424m in the same period in 2016. However, its profit fell by 54% to US$47.5m from US$103m. The fall in profit arose from the group’s power business and other income sources. The earnings before interest, depreciation, taxation and amortisation (EBITDA) after inter-segment transfers rose by 10% to US$76m from US$69m. The cement producer said that its results are not comparable as it adopted a change in its accounting year from the 2015 - 2016 period.