Displaying items by tag: Union

Spain: The Catalonia government has received a court order to close down LafargeHolcim España’s Montcada i Reixac cement plant in Barcelona. The Spanish Collection newspaper has reported that the plant failed to conform to new environmental regulations. LafargeHolcim España has appealed the decision.

The Montcada i Reixac plant currently employs 300 people. A union involved in the issue said that the alleged breach is formal rather than substantive and that an administrative error by the regional government caused the plant to breach the regulations.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has signed a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the union at its Norzagaray cement plant in Bulacan. Under the agreement employees have pledged to support the company’s efforts to drive performance. The CBA is effective until 2026 with the economic provisions in the third and fourth year of the deal open to renegotiation by 2024.

Horia Adrian, the president and chief executive officer of Holcim Philippines, said “Bulacan made tremendous operational and sustainability improvements this year due to the hard work and dedication of its people including members of Holcim Philippines Employees Association (HPEA). With this CBA’s closing, we can refocus on further transforming our Bulacan plant into one of the best sites in the Holcim Group and the country. My sincerest thanks to HPEA for your support and the sustained dialogue that allowed us to finalise this agreement.”

Argentina: Loma Negra has inaugurated the second production line at its L’Amalí cement plant. The El Cronista newspaper has reported that the InterCement subsidiary invested US$350m in the line, which expands the plant’s capacity by 40%. It previously started up the new line’s kiln in June 2021 but was later forced to suspend all clinker production at the plant due to a union dispute. It previously said it was close to commissioning the grinding mill and despatch unit for the line in August 2021.

India: JK Lakshmi has temporarily suspended dispatches of cement from its Durg cement plant in Chattisgarh. India Infoline News has reported that the producer had previously reduced its dispatches on 19 September 2021. This is due to disruption caused by a strike by the Chattisgarh Cement Transport Association. The producer has called the strike action ‘illegal.’ It said “Industry-wide negotiations are being held with State Government and we are hopeful of an amicable solution shortly.”

Italy: An agreement between Italcementi and its unions has confirmed that its Bergamo research centre to stay in Italy. The agreement with the FenealUil, Filca-Cisl, Fillea-Cgil, Italcementi RSU unions is intended to preserve jobs at the company, maintain at least 15,000 hours/yr of research at the site and dedicate at least 1% of the company’s profits towards research and innovation. Parent company HeidelbergCement was reportedly considering a relocation of the centre to Heidelberg in Baden Württemberg, Germany in late 2020.

Separately, Italcementi’s grinding plant at Salerno has been approved to continue producing white cement. The decision follows staff cuts at the cement producer, according to the Il Mattino newspaper.

Mali: A strike by two hauliers unions based in Senegal has caused cement shortages. The Union des Routiers du Sénégal and the Intersyndicale du Secteur des Transports Routiers both started strike action in late December 2020, according to Bamako News. The country has three main cement plants - Ciments et Matériaux du Mali (CMM), Diamond Ciment (DCM-SA) and Ciments d'Afrique (CIMAF) – but these companies only have a production capacity of 2Mt/yr. This is estimated to be 50% of Mali’s national requirement of 4Mt/yr. Commentators have called for a national cement supply policy in response to the situation and to reduce reliance on imports.

Argentina: Loma Negra has resumed operations at its Olavarría cement plant in Buenos Aires Province. Noticias Financieras News has reported that the company informed the Ministry of Labour that it had reached an agreement with the AOMA mining union. The union represents employees of limestone supplier Minerar, who demanded to be classed as cement workers for purposes of union representation and pay. Loma Negra accepted the strikers’ claims, and paid a total of US$24,000 in retroactive salary installations for the period October to December 2020.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement has signed a new retroactive three-year collective labour agreement with the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE). Under the agreement, employees will receive an 18% pay rise over the three-year period ending on 30 June 2021. The Jamaica Observer newspaper has reported that the deal will also provide a 10% raise in call-out pay, a transportation allowance and scholarships for employees’ children. It also alters the existing profit sharing scheme, housing benefits and loan programmes.

Argentina: A dispute between a supplier and its union has caused Loma Negra to switch off two kilns at its Olavarría cement plant. The Clarín newspaper has reported that the argument is between Minerar, which provides the plant’s raw limestone, and the Asociación Minera Obrera Argentina (AOMA), which represents miners’ interests. The union says that miners are underpaid. They receive US$245/yr less than cement plant workers.

The producer said, “It is the leading Argentine cement company, with approximately 45% of total sales in the country. This shortage will impact the country's economy, which had been recovering after the pandemic." The union rejected a mandatory conciliation on 3 December 2020. Negotiations began in October 2020.

Kenya: A union representing 150 of East Africa Portland Cement Company’s remaining 270 employees, who it made redundant on 1 September 2020, has rejected the company’s offer to take back the workers on a three-year contract with a pay cut of 50%. The rehiring was to be the third phase in the producer’s programme to cut down its 936-strong workforce, according to the Business Daily newspaper.

Acting managing director Stephen Nthei said, “We ran into teething issues between ourselves and the union. There were a few unionisable staff who did not sign, and that is what we are still discussing and agreeing.” He added, “Whatever we will discuss and agree between ourselves and the union will apply to everybody, even those who have signed. It should not be a discriminative procedure.”