Displaying items by tag: Workers

Mexico: 200 police officers in 80 police cars arrived outside the gates of Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s Cruz Azul cement plant in Tula, Hidalgo, on 15 December 2021, but failed to enter the plant. The El Financiero newspaper has reported that the police were following a court order to remove the company from the plant. Supervisory board president Alberto Lopez reasserted the company’s right to occupy the property in line with federal government ordinances. Lopez suggested an alleged collusion between cooperativists and Omar Fayad’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Hidalgo state government to decieve the courts.

Authorities have frozen Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s accounts with outstanding bills of US$800,000 in electricity, gas, equipment and services bills, as well as the payroll of its 1100 workers.

Coopertiva La Cruz Azul chair Federico Sarabia said that the developments threaten the existence of the Cruz Azul plant. He said "In terms of quality, Cruz Azul’s cement exceeds the standard. At the time that Cruz Azul disappears as a cement producer, prices will increase.”

Jordan: Lafarge Jordan is negotiating with the Jordan government to find a solution to end protests by its employees. The Jordan Times newspaper has reported that the workers went to Parliament to protest their rights, which they claim have been impinged on by the company. Labour Minister Nayef Steitieh urged the parties to establish a compromise in order to resolve the protesters’ demands.

Argentina: Sit-in protesters from the Argentinean Mining Workers Association (AOMA) have blocked access to the hoppers of limestone crushers at Minerar’s Olavarría quarry, according to the Clarín newspaper. The quarry supplies limestone to Loma Negra’s La Amali cement plant.

The cement producer said “The biggest problem is that if they don't solve the problem, and stop the supply raw material, it will complicate cement production."

Turkey: 120,000 members of the Construction Contractors Confederation (IMKON) downed tools on 9 September 2021 in protest against high cement prices. Emerging Market Watch News has reported that the strike will last until 21 September 2021 or until ‘satisfactory developments.’

The Ministry of Trade has tightened procedural restrictions on exporting clinker. Trade Minister Mehmet Mus is in talks with construction and cement industry representatives.

Canada: Three people, of whom two are in a serious condition, are in hospital in Toronto following an explosion at Lehigh Cement’s Picton cement plant in Prince Edward County, Ontario. The Kingston Whig Standard newspaper has reported that the individuals are believed to be external contractors who were carrying out repairs at the plant. The explosion occurred in a kiln on the morning of 7 September 2021.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour and fire services continue to investigate the incident.

Argentina: The Association of Portland Cement Manufacturers (AFCP) has agreed with the Argentine Mining Workers Association union to a 48% pay rise for all Argentinean cement workers. The La Voz del Interior newspaper has reported that the union has lifted its nationwide state of alert as a result of the agreement.

US: The Boston Globe newspaper has reported that the single biggest threat to the US government’s planned industrial reinvigoration based around a US$2.2tn federal infrastructure spending plan is a shortage of resources. The newspaper named a lack of workers and cement mills as particular concerns. It reported that the National Association of Home Builders has called for tariffs to be cut for certain key building materials such as lumber and that more cement should be imported.

Laos: Workers at the Guestown-Lao cement plant have been paid back wages in a dispute. All 170 employees owed money by the Guestown-Lao company plant in Luang Prabang province’s Nam Bak district have now received US$42,000 from the plant’s new owner, according to Radio Free Asia. Some of the former employees of the plant have also returned to work under the new management.

Provincial authorities detained the Chinese owner of the Guestown-Lao plant in April 2021, accused him of failing to pay wages to his Lao workers in November 2020 and subsequently filed criminal charges against him. He is now awaiting trial on the charges. The company has since been taken over by China-based Jian Qe.

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.

India: The Great Places to Work Institute (GPWI) has awarded the title of ‘Best Place to Work’ in the cement and building materials sectors to Shree Cement. India Blooms News has reported that Shree Cement is also among the GPWI’s 100 Best Places to Work in all sectors. The certificating body reached its conclusions by collating responses from 2.1m employees of over 1000 companies in 21 different industries across India.