Displaying items by tag: Strike

South Korea: The cement industry in South Korea faces rising costs due to a rising won-to-dollar exchange rate following the attempted impeachment of the president, and transportation disruptions from a railroad strike. This is likely to lead to an increase in coal import costs, according to Chosun Biz news.

The ongoing strike by the National Railroad Workers Union has disrupted cement transportation, though stockpiles in metropolitan areas have mitigated immediate effects. However, prolonged strikes could force production halts.

Kim Seung-jun, researcher at capital market company Hana Securities, said “In the fourth quarter, cement production is expected to decrease by 14% compared to the same period in 2023.”

Cyprus: Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou has appealed to both sides for a resolution to the ongoing cement workers' strike that has now entered its fourth week, according to Cyprus Mail. Negotiations over a new collective agreement have been rejected, with workers demanding the restoration of overtime pay to pre-2018 levels, a reduction agreed upon between 2018 and 2020. Despite appeals from the minister and some employers open to continuing discussions, the unions have maintained a firm stance against altering their demands. The construction industry has reportedly come to a standstill as a result, prompting the minister’s involvement.

Panayiotou said "The restoration of normality in the concrete production sector is necessary for the smooth operation of the wider construction industry and other affected sectors, to avoid negative effects on the Cypriot economy. Unfortunately, we have entered the fourth week of strike measures despite the repeated efforts that have been made to bridge the gap.”

Spain: Following more than two months of industrial action, unions at Cementos Rezola, part of the German conglomerate Heidelberg Materials, have agreed to conclude their strike. This decision comes after extensive negotiations regarding a redundancy plan introduced in June 2024, which initially proposed dismissing 56 out of 102 employees. The agreement includes provisions for no forced dismissals, leading the Basque nationalist union to call off the strike.

Under the terms of the settlement brokered by the other unions, several workers will enter early retirement and nine workers will be relocated to the company's Arrigorriaga plant. This plant transfer is part of a strategic move to concentrate clinker production at a facility that is better equipped to meet stringent environmental standards and deliver greater operational efficiency. The revised redundancy plan also converted four initially forced exits into voluntary or early retirements after further negotiations, with the remaining two being reintegrated into the company.

Pakistan: Cement producers across Pakistan have initiated an indefinite nationwide strike in response to increased withholding and turnover taxes introduced in the federal budget for 2024-25. The mandatory implementation of Point of Sale systems has also been criticised, due to a lack of resources and training. The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association is urging the government to adopt a presumptive tax regime to mitigate these challenges. Meanwhile, despite domestic challenges, Pakistan's cement exports rose by 40.5% in the first 11 months of the 2023-2024 financial year (FY23-24), which ended on 30 June 2024. reaching almost US$237m from US$168m in the corresponding period in FY22-23.

Portugal: Workers from Cimpor, along with those from its subsidiaries Ciarga Argamassas, Serviços and Sacopor, will participate in a three-day strike from 16 – 19 April 2024. The Portuguese Federation of Construction, Ceramics and Glass Trade Unions (FEVICCOM) announced that strike rallies are scheduled for 8am daily near the entrances to cement plants in Souselas, Alhandra and Loulé.

The workers are demanding an 8% salary increase in 2024, with a minimum of €200, a 37-hour work week starting 1 January 2025, annual bonuses, shift work compensation and public holidays in continuous work regimes. Cimpor management previously raised salaries by 4.5% at the start of 2024. This is above the inflation rate in Portugal and twice the increase seen by the civil service. Cimpor added that it had previously increased salaries above the rate of inflation in previous years.

South Korea: The Korean Railway Workers’ Union called a four-day strike of its 13,000 members across South Korea on 14 September 2023. Reuters has reported that the union is seeking higher pay, improved working conditions and the expansion of bullet train services into South Seoul. The Ministry of Transport predicts that total cargo haulage will drop by 53 - 79%. The Korean Cement Association (KCA) said that a protracted strike would disrupt cement production. The industry is 40% reliant on rail transport.

A representative from a KCA member said “We have secured some inventory in preparation for the strike, but it's not a lot. If the strike lengthens, we will have to convert to land transport, which will drive up costs and hit profitability."

South Korea: A strike forced Korea Cement to suspend production at its integrated Jangseong cement plant from 8am on 13 June 2023. Investing News has reported the cause of the strike as a dispute over collective bargaining between the company and workers at the plant.

Korea Cement said “If the production suspension continues for more than six months, the company may be subject to delisting review by the Korea Exchange."

French Guiana: 27 of 30 workers at Ciments Guyainais’ Rémire-Montjoly grinding plant in Cayenne went on strike on 12 June 2023. The strikers advised management that they launched strike action because the current direction of the company is ‘disastrous.’ They have requested that senior representatives of parent company Grupo Argos attend a meeting with them.

Portail des Outre-mer News has reported that Ciments Guyainais holds a 100% market share in French Guiana. It supplied 107,000t of cement to customers in 2022, up by 8.6% year-on-year from 98,500t in 2021.

Mauritania: The National Confederation of Mauritanian Workers has called a seven-day strike of Ciments de l’Afrique (CIMAF) employees from 31 May to 6 June 2023. IHS Global Insight Daily News has reported that the union called the strike over working conditions at the company and to demand that it elect workers’ representatives. The strike will likely result in cement supply disruptions and backlogs at export terminals.

Mongolia: L Naranbaatar, the head of Khutul Cement and Lime, has responded to a strike at the company by outlining changes made since it was nationalised in 2022. Workers are protesting with demands to add wage incentives and to appoint managers from within the company, according to the UB Post newspaper. They have also alleged that the company is spending its budget illegally.

During a press conference Naranbaatar explained that the company produced 403,000t of cement in 2022, an increase from 2021. It reported a profit of US$3.3m in 2022, the first time it had made a profit in the last decade. However, the producer’s wage bill nearly doubled to just below US$6m in 2022. The company also spent US$2.25m on upgrades to the plant in 2022, the first such investment made in five years, compared to US$171,000 spent on maintenance in 2021.

Former economist L Naranbaatar was appointed as the head of Khutul Cement and Lime in March 2022. The company was transferred to the Development Bank of Mongolia when the heir of the previous owners refused to accept the inheritance.