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January 7, 2012 - No. 1 Alma, Quebec Rio Tinto Aluminum Workers, the Region
of
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The workers and communities
demand equilibrium based on
their rights. The Alma workers have proposed equilibrium based on
production of 430,000 tons of aluminum per year with a minimum 780
workers. Workers demand this ratio be maintained for the good of their
members, community and economy.
To achieve equilibrium in the short term the workers have proposed that
if output increases the number of workers can remain at 780 and if
production decreases during the contract, the present ratio can be
maintained resulting in a reduction of the workforce. The workers also
believe that contracting out work must
be reduced to a minimum as this anti-worker practice directly reduces
the overall claim of workers on their production of value through lower
wages and benefits for unorganized contract workers. Marc Maltais |
TML: In the week leading up to the lock out, the members of the three units which comprise the Syndicat des travailleurs de l'aluminium d'Alma (Local 9490 USW,) rejected Rio Tinto's final offer. We have heard that this offer was an improvement over Rio Tinto's global offer in previous weeks but despite this, it was massively rejected by the workers. What was the result of the vote on the final offer and how was this offer different from the previous one?
Marc Maltais: On December 29 and 30, a few days before the lock out, our workers rejected the employer's final offer. The office workers' unit voted 71 per cent to reject the offer; the potlining centre unit, 98 per cent; and the hourly wage earners' unit 88 per cent. Overall the participation rate in the vote was 92 per cent.
A change in the final offer was that Rio Tinto offered a clause which would allegedly protect production workers from subcontracting. The current contract does not say anything about subcontracting and the production workers. Our main issue regarding subcontracting at the moment is in maintenance. There is a clause in the contract on maintenance and subcontracting but it is so full of holes that there is no real protection for our jobs. The result has been that every year the working hours that have been granted to outside firms have steadily increased.
So the employer offered a clause that would allegedly protect the production jobs from subcontracting but it comes with a sentence that says that there is going to be more and more subcontracting and that the future of the smelter is with subcontracting. So we have asked the employer what is the value of such protection if we sign something which says that there is going to be more and more subcontracting? The answer is very clear. If we put in the contract a clause that does not really protect us, we have just accepted the employers' conditions regarding subcontracting. This is one of the main issues in these negotiations because it has an impact on so many things, including labour mobility at the plant and the future of the pension plan. To accept this will weaken the union because through this Rio Tinto is trying to reduce the number of unionized workers, limiting them to those doing "core" production jobs, and then they will go after those too.
We just have to look at what is happening with the lock out. It is already very difficult to wage an effective battle even though most of the workforce is unionized. Rio Tinto is using 200 subcontractors and managers to run the plant, without talking about the scabs. Imagine what would happen if they had 400 people with them. Many of these so-called managers are retirees that they hired and nominated as managers in the last few months. These are not managers who have been at the plant for a long time and know it well but managers who have been put there to prepare for the dispute. The equipment in Alma is the most modern there is. Rio Tinto went to Arvida to hire retired supervisors. Some of them have never even seen an overhead crane like the one we have in Alma and these are the people who are going to operate the plant! I guess that Rio Tinto has the real managers, those who know the conditions at the plant, doing the critical operations, but what are they going to tell the other guys? "Trust us buddy!" That is supposed to be safe?
TML: The union says that Rio Tinto is not negotiating with them but provoking them. Can you tell us more about that?
MM: All these accusations they are throwing at us of vandalism and intimidation are lies and provocations. Rio Tinto is following the theory that if you repeat a lie often enough it will become the truth. The union has always opposed vandalism, the breaking of equipment and intimidation. When the company accuses us of vandalizing the equipment it knows very well that equipment breaks down all the time. It happened before the negotiations, it will happen during the negotiations and it will happen after they are over. Why else do they have maintenance workers at the plant? In fact, the company is not doing any investigation into the incidents it is making a fuss about. This is just propaganda. In our society, where the unions are often portrayed as goons, it is very easy for these people to slander the workers.
We seriously suspect that Rio Tinto is bringing in scabs. We have made a request to the Ministry of Labour to send inspectors to check the situation inside. Rio Tinto is bringing people in by helicopter. We keep seeing people walking in the woods in the dark with flash lights and entering the premises on skidoos. I myself caught one, a fake security guard who was using a skidoo to patrol the area. If Rio Tinto has nothing to hide, why these methods?
TML: How is it going in terms of the support of the people?
MM: You may remember that some Presidents of Boards of Trade went public against us. Well, this is not preventing small businesses from bringing us coffee and muffins, gift certificates, lumber for our fire and coming to the line to discuss with us and offer support. Our Facebook page now has 800 members and we are gaining a hundred new ones every day. All kinds of people support us. They are aware that we are asking close to nothing for ourselves. What we want is that the people enjoy the same working conditions as those we have. There are Rio Tinto retirees who join us on the picket lines. Our workers are mobilized more than they have ever been. They support their union and are determined to win this fight. We are picketing 24/7 even if we are under a temporary interlocutory injunction until January 10 that orders us to stay at least 500 feet from the property and to limit the number of picketers to 20 people.
TML: What do you want to say in conclusion?
MM: Our latest dispute at the plant goes back to 1979 when there was also a lock out. It is not true that we are tougher to deal with here in Alma. If what we are being offered makes sense then we can look at it and make a deal but we want a deal we can live with. The other day one of the workers asked me when people like the Rio Tinto executives will decide that they should stop attacking us. I said that the day you have to put $100 in a box before you do your shift -- the day you pay in order to work -- they will ask for $120. There is no limit to what they will ask. The people are aware that the Alma union is fighting this transformation of the economy in which they are pushing us all down and down again and this is why we are calling on everybody to join us.
Private Security Firm Used to
Brutally Assault Night
Shift
Alma, QC, December 31, 2011
At 12:45 am on Saturday, December 31, some 150 guards from a private security firm entered the plant, threw garbage bags at the workers which contained their personal belongings and ordered them to get out of the plant. This took place fifteen minutes after negotiations ended between the company and the union in the presence of a government negotiator with the agreement that they would continue the following morning.
The workers had to leave with their skin contaminated and still wearing their contaminated work clothes. This happened under heavy police surveillance. Workers denounced the brutal assault and immediately mounted picket lines in front of the plant.
The assault seems to have been a very calculated move to
brutalize the workers. For instance, after the assault, the company
carried on business as usual and paid the workers for their shift. In
other words, there is no sense for the union to grieve this blatant
violation of the workers' rights because the workers have already
received the redress to which they would be entitled under the
arbitration process -- their pay.
TML denounces this assault on the workers, carried out under the supervision of the police while the media and others subsequently went out of their way to suggest it is the workers who are the trouble-makers. In fact they blamed the workers for the routine equipment breakdowns which occur all the time as a pretext for the assault.
Clearly, the company not only acts with impunity to create a so-called new normal at the plant where workers are forced to submit to unfettered management "rights," but it seems to have adopted the use of violence on a planned basis to achieve its aims.
Militant Demonstration Opposes
Rio Tinrto's Sale of
Hydro During Lock Out and
Charest Government's Secret Deal
On January 4, more than 600 workers demonstrated in front of the Île Maligne Dam and the office of Énergie Électrique to oppose the sale of unused hydro from Rio Tinto to Hydro-Quebec during the lock out. Énergie Électrique is the division of Rio Tinto that deals with its dams and the distribution of hydro. The demonstrators demanded that the Quebec government stop Hydro-Quebec from buying the unused energy that has resulted from Rio Tinto cutting its aluminum production by two-thirds during the lock out. With its six dams in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean -- three on the Peribonka River and three on the Saguenay River -- Rio Tinto has the capacity to produce more than 2,000 megawatts yearly which represents over 90 per cent of the total hydro it needs to produce aluminum in Quebec. The Rio Tinto Alcan network is connected to Hydro-Quebec. An agreement between the two regulates the exchange of energy between them, depending on the season and the respective needs of each organization. According to the workers, Rio Tinto has about 500 MW of unused hydro because of the lock out. Rio Tinto's media representative, Claudine Gagnon, has said that all of it is going to be diverted to Hydro-Quebec.
The Rio Tinto workers firmly oppose the sale of this energy during the lock out as it is a way to weaken the union in its fight against the company. They denounced the comments made by a spokesperson for the Minister of Natural Resources that the exchange of energy between Rio Tinto and Hydro-Quebec is a purely private matter and that for the government to ask Hydro-Québec not to buy the unused energy during the lock out would be an interference in this private matter. A Hydro-Quebec spokesperson said that the state utility will continue to abide by its agreement with Rio Tinto and that the agreement itself is secret and must remain so.
Marc Maltais, president of the Syndicat des travailleurs de l'aluminium d'Alma, which represents the locked out workers, firmly disagreed. "In agreeing to let Rio Tinto sell its energy surplus at full price to Hydro-Quebec, the government makes itself an actor in this labour dispute and contributes to making it last longer. Traditionally, the relative strength of both parties during a labour dispute rests to a large extent on the employer's profits being affected and by workers not receiving their wages, which brings both parties to realize that they cannot win everything they want and must come to an agreement."
Many other workers and trade union leaders
took part in
the action. On behalf of the Syndicat des employés
d'énergie électrique, President Pierre Simard denounced
the sale of the unused hydro to Hydro-Quebec during the conflict
because Rio Tinto is making money out of the labour dispute. Simard
pledged
to build support for the struggle of the Rio Tinto workers. Yvan
Tremblay, the President of the Syndicat des employés de
métier d'hydro-Québec in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, recalled
the regional referendum of November 2005 in which 92 per cent of the
people of the region voted in favour of the natural resources
being managed by the region and private energy produced for industrial
purposes being used exclusively for the industrial development of the
region. The representative of the Canadian Auto Workers for
Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Denis Lepage said, "If the company thinks that
imposing its lock out is going to be a piece
of cake, it is sadly mistaken. There is no way they are going to beat
up these workers without taking us all on." The NDP MP for
Jonquière-Alma, himself the past President of the Syndicat
national des employés de l'aluminium d'Arvida, said this looks
like it may become a huge crisis and called on the people to
support the workers.
On behalf of the locked out workers, president Marc Maltais said how proud he is of the success of the demonstration, which had to be held away from the plant because an injunction forbids any demonstration or picketing within 150 metres of it.
"We are abiding by the injunction," he said, "but it is crucial that we make our opinion heard. The right to demonstrate still exists and we have demonstrated peacefully. The support we have received is important and is going to become critical in our fight against Rio Tinto."
(Translated from original French by TML)
London, Ontario
Electro-Motive Workers Resist U.S. Monopoly Dictate and Schemes to Destroy Manufacturing
On December 31, 465 members of CAW Local 27 were locked out of the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) plant in London, Ontario after workers made it clear that they would not accept the imposition of the unilateral "final offer" by the company. EMD is owned by the U.S. monopoly Caterpillar. The final offer presented by the company would, amongst other things, cut wages in half, eliminate a pension scheme, eliminate cost-of-living adjustments and introduce worker co-pays for health care costs -- employees are to pay 25 per cent of the premiums for their health care coverage -- while reducing the benefits of that coverage. The union and the company had agreed to a seven-month contract extension which expired on December 31. The union had hoped the company would negotiate and modify its final offer, however it refused to budge. On December 30, workers voted 97.8 per cent in favour of strike action with approximately 90 per cent of the membership voting.
The CAW advises that
Caterpillar's intention may be to
use the lock out to move production to the United States or other
facilities it has established in Mexico and Brazil.
Since the lock out began, the workers have been trying to ensure that machines are not removed and that scabs are not brought in to keep the plant running. In a statement issued on behalf of Caterpillar, company spokesperson Anne Marie Quinn said it has not used "replacement production workers." However, she did state that it is using scabs under the guise of a contract it has to provide power to General Dynamics Land Systems, a neighbouring manufacturing facility. "[Electro-Motive Canada (EMC)] has retained workers to keep the powerhouse in operation, which must continue in order to maintain the EMC facility, as well as the neighbouring GDLS Canada facility to which EMC is contractually obliged to provide power." The General Dynamics Land Systems facility is involved in war production, assembling military vehicles for the U.S., Canadian and other NATO member and partner militaries.
Right from the beginning of
the lock out, the workers
have been gaining support from their community, other workers and local
city councillors and members of Parliament. London City Councillor Bud
Polhill visited the workers at the gates and stated: "I think we need
to send a message to these people the City
of London supports them. When someone offers you less than half of what
you were making, that is not an offer, it is an insult. It's
ridiculous," he said. Councilor Stephen Orser also showed his support
for the workers and opposed the silence of the Harper government. "It
is a slap in the face of the federal government.
The higher levels of government cannot be so contractually stupid in
these deals," he said. "The federal MPs and provincial MPPs should try
to get everyone back to the table to keep the plant working. We need
these jobs here in London," he said. "If we are going to be in a major
fight with this employer we need
the support of the community and politicians," he added.
The Ontario Federation of Labour has called a day of action on January 21 and is calling on all labour councils to hire buses to take workers from their cities to London on that day.
Caterpillar and EMD
Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. Their engines and machines are widely used in construction, agriculture and military applications. In 2010, EMD was bought by Progress Rail, a subsidiary of Caterpillar. Progress Rail is one of the largest integrated and diversified suppliers of railroad and transit system products and services in North America. Their facilities include locomotive production, upgrade and repair, railcar remanufacturing, rail welding, rail repair and replacement, signal design and installation, maintenance of way equipment, parts reclamation and recycling. The company operates over 110 facilities in the United States, 28 in Mexico, four in Canada and one in South America.
According to its website, EMD is "one of two U.S.
original equipment manufacturers of diesel-electric locomotives.
Headquartered in LaGrange, Illinois, with additional facilities in
London, Ontario, EMD designs, manufactures and sells diesel-electric
locomotives for all commercial railroad applications." The workers say
the company will need about 450 locomotives this year. With enough
skilled labour, the London plant has the capability to build about 1.8
locomotives a day and prior to the lockout was producing about one a
day. It is not clear where these locomotives will be produced if the
company maintains the lockout. The Muncie, Indiana plant is an old
building with old machinery which can only produce a few locomotives a
month. EMD's main competition is General Electric which presently has
its own customers.
Despite the London plant being state of the art and very productive,
and GE having its own customers, the workers are concerned the company
may try to move some of the machinery out of this plant to Muncie,
Indiana or some other place because of whatever money-making scheme has
been given a guarantee.
The EMD workers do very skilled work which involves the original
fabrication of parts and detailed knowledge and experience. It is not
assembly line work where prefabricated parts are assembled.
Speaking of the main competition, a GE plant in the U.S. just settled a
new contract with its workers with wages of $30-plus an hour.
Another Big Score and Destruction of Canadian Manufacturing
U.S. vulture capitalists Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners purchased EMD from General Motors in 2005 when it sold off certain non-auto related aspects of its monopoly. In 2008, Prime Minister Harper made a budget announcement at EMD's London plant about measures for companies which would facilitate the purchase of new industrial assets such as the locomotives EMD produced. One measure increased the amount of the cost of new assets companies could deduct from owed taxes. At the time the Harper government estimated that this measure would shift approximately $1 billion from government revenue to companies who took advantage of the tax cut. In another measure seemingly targeted specifically to serve EMD, the Harper government increased the proportion of the cost of new locomotive purchases a purchaser could deduct from their taxes from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. The Harper government predicted at that time that this measure alone would lead to a reduction of $5 million in government revenues transferred to the company selling (EMD) and the company buying the new locomotives. Shortly after, CN Rail purchased 40 new locomotives from EMD, no doubt resulting in a big profit. The investment firms controlling EMD then sold the company to Caterpillar in August 2010 for $820 million, reportedly three times what they paid.
One month after its purchase of EMD, Caterpillar announced plans to open a plant to build EMD locomotives in Muncie, Indiana with millions in state incentives. In November 2010, Caterpillar awarded a major contract to a third-party manufacturer to start building EMD locomotives in Sahagun, Mexico. Finally, on July 25, 2011 Caterpillar announced plans to build a new EMD locomotive plant in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
It is now feared that Caterpillar's long-term interest in Electro-Motive centres on plans to acquire new technology it possesses and then move production to the U.S. to fulfil "Buy America" regulations for the passenger locomotive market.
On December 21, CAW President Ken Lewenza wrote to Harper indicating CAW's fears about Caterpillar's intentions and requesting that the commitments and terms of the purchase of EMD by Caterpillar be disclosed, the approval for the sale be reviewed, and the Minister of Industry determine Caterpillar's real intentions for the London plant and intervene to safeguard the future of the operations. On January 4, the Canadian Union of Public Employees also wrote to Harper calling for the terms and incentives of the approval of Caterpillar's purchase of EMD under the Investment Canada Act (ICA) to be disclosed.
According to reports, the Harper government says the sale was not subject to review under the ICA, because the asset value didn't meet the required threshold. In an e-mail to the media, Harper spokesman Carl Vallée attempted to present the Harper government as neutral, despite its repeated interventions to defend monopoly right: "This is a dispute between a private company and the union and we don't comment on the actions of private companies." Addressing the tax measures which were announced at EMD's facility in 2008 Vallée wrote: "The Prime Minister's [2008] announcement related to the government's tax policies for all companies." "A low tax environment is the best way to ensure job creators come to Canada and stay in Canada, as proven by the nearly 600,000 jobs created in Canada since July 2009." A spokesperson for Labour Minister Lisa Raitt wrote that the dispute "is in fact a matter of provincial jurisdiction." Elgin-Middlesex-London Conservative MP Joe Preston elaborated on the Harper government's position "At this moment, I kind of wish we'd all just step back a little and let the two parties do their negotiation," he said. "That's who's going to have to come up with a contract at the end of the day and it sometimes is unhelpful for outside parties to be offering suggestions and solutions when the real negotiation needs to take place between the management at Electro-Motive and the CAW."
(CAW, CBC, CUPE, London Free Press)
CAW Questions Government Claims
A Harper government spokesperson said that when Electro-Motive purchased the plant in London, Ontario, the assets were below the $299 million Investment Canada Act threshold for government review.
CAW President Ken Lewenza responded, "There is no oversight and no transparency in this whole process. Caterpillar declared a gain of $1.3 billion in assets on its books following the takeover of EMC. The federal government now says that the takeover did not meet the threshold of $299 million for a full review, or to seek legally-binding commitments to Canada."
"In a $1.3 billion deal, how can the Harper government seriously believe that not even a quarter of those assets are in Canada?" Lewenza asked.
"London is the largest
manufacturing plant in the
company, and at the time of the takeover had nearly half the company's
employees. The Harper government gave this sale a rubber stamp paving
the way for this disaster," Lewenza said. "This is a disservice to
Canadians."
Lewenza said the Harper government should disclose the value of assets in London declared by Caterpillar and is asking what steps the federal government took to ensure the validity of the information provided by Caterpillar.
"Will the federal government use its powers under the Investment Canada Act to review this obviously faulty decision to head off this job-destroying disaster?" Lewenza asked.
A CAW news release says Lewenza also criticized a statement by the federal government spokesperson in the media that the federal government won't get involved in the lock-out of Electro-Motive workers because it is a dispute between a private company and the union.
"The federal government certainly had no problem interfering in bargaining between Air Canada and the CAW last year," Lewenza said.
Concessions Demanded by Electro-Motive
The employer has demanded the following concessions:
- $21 million reduction in wages and time off
per year;
- $1.5 million per year in benefit cost reductions;
- $6.9 million cut out of pension and retiree benefit
costs; and
- $10 million out of the supplementary unemployment
benefits (SUB) fund.
The savings listed above would be gained by concessions the employer has tabled in the following areas:
- A wage reduction for all classifications. The deepest
cut is $18.50 per hour for about 50 per cent of the workforce;
- Elimination of the defined benefit pension plan;
- Elimination of retiree benefits;
- Substantial reduction in shift premiums;
- Elimination of the cost of living allowance;
- Reduction in overtime compensation;
- Elimination of four holidays annually;
- Elimination of between 64 and 120 hours of vacation
time;
- Elimination of survivor income benefits, income
maintenance plan, SUB plan, SWW protection, maternity top up, retiree
medical, retiree life insurance etc.;
- 25 per cent co-pay for the cost of premiums of
medical, drug, dental, vision, hearing aid coverage;
- 25 per cent co-pay at time of purchase of the cost of
drugs;
- Major reduction in dental and other benefit coverage
amounts; and
- Elimination of protection of skilled trades work.
(Information circulated by CAW members)
53rd Anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution
Long Live the Cuban Revolution!
On the 53rd anniversary of
the triumph of the Cuban
Revolution, the Canadian Network on Cuba, on behalf of the Canada-Cuba
friendship and solidarity movement, extends our warmest and most
heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the Cuban people. In the 53
years that have flashed by since that glorious
day of January 1st, 1959, the Cuban people have shown what is possible
to achieve when one defends genuine independence and
self-determination. As Cuba continues on the path of social justice,
human dignity and international solidarity, the Cuban Revolution
continues to be an inspiration to humanity. The example
of Cuba assumes even greater significance as the second decade of the
21st century unfolds, fraught with grave dangers that threaten the
well-being of the peoples of the world. In the midst of these profound
challenges, Cuba refutes those who argue that relations among the
world's nations and peoples are -- and can
only be -- determined by self-interest, the pursuit of power and
wealth.
Cuba demonstrates that it is possible to build relations based on
genuine solidarity and social love; it is a living example of the
alternatives that permit people to realize their deepest aspirations,
and that another better world is possible.
As the Cuban people confidently march forward, the CNC reaffirms its commitment to strengthen and deepen the ties of friendship and solidarity between Canada and Cuba and resolves to do the utmost to obtain justice for the Five Cuban Heroes; who so valiantly defended their country from terrorist attacks launched from the United States. In the spirits of solidarity and friendship, we join the global chorus, declaring:
¡Viva
la
Revolución
Cubana!
* Isaac Saney is National Spokesperson for the Canadian Network on Cuba.
Celebrations in Cuba
Mass rally in in Guantanamo province celebrates 53rd anniversary of Cuban Revolution, December 27, 2011.
This year, Cuba ushered in the 54th year of the Revolution with celebrations held across the island in late December and early January.
In Havana, a 21-gun salute was fired to mark the day when the Cuban revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro overthrew the regime of U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista, initiating the process of building socialism. On January 2, in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba a group of children and youth retraced the route known as the Caravan of Victory taken by Fidel Castro and the rebel army after the triumph of January 1, 1959. Many cultural and artistic activities were held nationwide to celebrate the occasion and the new year 2012.
 The annual reenactment of the Caravan of Victory is welcomed in Cienfuegos province, January 6, 2012. |
This occasion was also marked by political rallies in all the regions to take stock of the year's accomplishments in the context of the successful 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba held this past April 16-19. The Congress oversaw the adoption of an updated economic model and policies aimed at overcoming the country's difficulties and continuing its socialist path. The people's sights are set on what is to be achieved in the new year.
The Cuban people and their leaders received many greetings from foreign governments, heads of state, friendship organizations, parties and personalities on the occasion, which highlighted the significance of the Revolution for all the peoples of the region and the oppressed peoples of the world.
"Without the Cuban Revolution the processes for the union of Latin American peoples would probably not exist today," said President Daniel Ortega in a message on the anniversary.
The statement from the Government of Venezuela said in part, "The triumphal entry of Fidel into Santiago de Cuba on January 1, 1959 sealed the beginning of the universal action that has made the Cuban people an example of dignity to the world, a source of inspiration for oppressed people and a inexhaustible source of unconditional international solidarity."
The victorious Rebel Army led by Fidel Castro was enthusiastically welcomed in Havana on January 8, 1959.
(Prensa Latina, CubaDebate, Librered.net, Granma International, Venceremos.cu)
National Assembly Sums Up 2011 and
Looks Toward 2012
On December 23, the deputies of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power held the debates of the 8th Ordinary Session of the 7th Legislature, the highest organ of government in Cuba.
On the agenda for the Cuban Parliament was the adoption of the country's Economic Plan and Budget for 2012. Legislators evaluated the ongoing implementation of the agreements of the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, held last April, in order to strengthen the Revolution at this crucial moment in history, especially the general crisis of capitalism. To that end, prior to the 8th ordinary session, the 12 permanent commissions of the National Assembly of People's Power held their debates from December 20 to 21 to review the effectiveness of the new economic measures implemented last year, as well as other issues of importance to the nation. The two sessions of the permanent commissions and their approximately 400 legislators preceded reports from institutions on December 22 and 23. These included representatives of the People's Supreme Court and the Attorney General of the Republic of Cuba presenting the report on the results of the judicial system in 2011 and the projections for 2012. The National Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Institute, the permanent standing commissions of the Parliament of International Relations, as well as Industry and Construction also submitted their reports to the plenary.
 Cuban President Raúl Castro |
President Castro summed up the reports on the state of Cuba's economic affairs, noting that the expected figure of a 3 per cent growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell short at 2.7 per cent mainly due to lack of execution of the investment plan and failure to meet some goals for agricultural and livestock production as well as some from the food and construction industries.
He also noted that a gradual recovery of sugar production began in 2011; that the number of foreign visitors went beyond record figures; that the domestic monetary balance was maintained; and that the dynamics of the medium wage-productivity ratio was favourable.
He explained that advances continued to be made in the reestablishment of the national economy's international credibility, by way of the strict fulfilment of the financial obligations resulting from the renegotiation of debts with the main creditors, a policy that will continue being strengthened in the future.
The president pointed out that in 2012, the GDP should increase by 3.4 percent and that in spite of the fact that national production of food (including rice and beans) should increase and, consequently, imports will be reduced, the latter will amount to a little more than $1.7 billion due to price increases.
He also informed that a 3.8 percent deficit of the GDP has been foreseen, but that free services for the population in health, education, culture and sports will be guaranteed by way of rationality, as well as those of social security and food subsidies, and help to individuals with insufficient solvency to purchase construction materials, among others.
Directly related to the well-being of Cuba's economy, President Castro also spoke out strongly on the issue of corruption and the work to eliminate it, saying there is an "imperious need for all of us in leadership roles at different levels, from the grass roots to the highest positions in the country, to take a firm line in the face of indiscipline and lack of control in relation to receipts and payments, which constitute one of the principal causes and requisite conditions for crime. I am convinced that corruption is currently one of the principal enemies of the Revolution, far more damaging than the subversive and interventionist activities of the United States government and its allies within and outside of the country.
"The Comptroller General of the Republic, the Attorney General and the specialized units of the Ministry of the Interior have instructions to combat this scourge with all the severity that our laws permit, as, in its moment, incipient drug trafficking was successfully confronted beginning in January of 2003. [...]
"I believe this is an opportune moment to clarify that this is not yet another campaign, as has certainly been the case in the past when, with the passing of time, actions to reestablish order were discontinued and routine and superficiality once again took over, allowing those who were waiting for everything to settle down, and return to normal, to continue prospering at the expense of our people's heritage.
"[...] we are determined to ensure that instructions set out by the government and agreements of the Party Congress are fulfilled. I will say the same in relation to those corrupt bureaucrats, with posts obtained through simulation and opportunism, who are utilizing the positions that they still occupy to accumulate fortunes, betting on the possible defeat of the Revolution."
Regarding Cuba's migration policy, President Castro stated, "On August 1 in this Parliament, I publicly addressed the issue and stated that we were working toward implementing an updated migration policy and advancing in reformulating and drafting the regulations, in line with present and foreseeable future conditions. Today, I guarantee each and every one of the proposals made on that occasion, while reaffirming our unchanged will to gradually introduce the changes required in relation to this complex issue, while continuing to comprehensively assess the positive and negative effects of each step we take."
In the sphere of foreign affairs, President Castro noted that "2011 has been a year of upheaval for the world, constantly more dangerous and reactionary tendencies are currently revealing themselves, on a par with increasing expressions of resistance and popular protest against neoliberal capitalism. The United Nations mechanisms, created to preserve peace and security, have been manipulated in order to impose on the planet the dictatorship of the United States and NATO, which are assuming 'regime change' as a model, violating principles of international law, and using financial-media emporiums to stir up hatred and violence."
He noted the widespread protests against social inequality in the developed countries and called on the governments of those countries to listen to the peoples' demands.
He also addressed the founding of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on December 2, highlighting that Cuba received the honour of being unanimously elected to preside over CELAC in 2013 and host its third summit at the end of that year.
Concluding his speech, the president informed that "in a humanitarian and sovereign gesture, the Council of State has agreed to pardon more than 2,900 prisoners."
"These include women, sick individuals, those over 60 years of age and also young people who have raised their educational levels and possibilities of social reintegration." He noted that those convicted of crimes of espionage, terrorism, murder, homicide, drug trafficking, pederasty with violence, rape and corruption of minors and robbery with violence were not included amongst those to be released.
"The pardon will become effective in the next few days, as another demonstration of the generosity and strength of the Revolution," he added.
"At the same time, we have stated our willingness to grant the early release of 86 foreign citizens from 25 countries, including 13 women convicted in the courts for crimes committed in Cuba, on the prior condition that the governments of their countries of origin accept their repatriation."
Reports on the State of Cuba's Economy and Justice System
The draft 2012 Budget Law was presented to the deputies for their consideration by Lina Pedraza, Minister of Finance and Prices. She reported that the budget deficit for 2011 is expected to amount to 3.8 per cent of the GDP, close to the figure projected for 2012.
According to Pedraza, the draft budget reflects the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines approved by the 6th Party Congress, especially those related to macroeconomic factors, and that greater coherence between the annual economic plan's objectives and the budget has been achieved at all levels, as called for in the guidelines.
She reported as well that the tax system is advancing gradually toward becoming a re-distributor of wealth and that work will continue to develop broad consciousness about taxes and the population's responsibility to contribute, while the strengthening of accounting mechanisms is projected, to assure the fulfilment of tax obligations.
The National Assembly approved the Economic Plan and the Budget Law for 2012, which plans GDP growth of 3.4 percent. More than half of the budgeted expenditures are for education, health, culture and sport, in line with the priority given by the Cuban government in the social sphere. More than 800 million pesos are allocated for subsides to low-income people as part of the 2012 Budget Law. Minister Pedraza emphasized that these measures will ensure the well-being of individual Cubans and the country as a whole. The example was given that these funds will make it possible to offer construction materials at subsidized prices as a way to contribute to the recovery and increase the country's housing funds.
Marino Murillo, member of the Party's Political Bureau and Vice President of the Council of Ministers reported on the progress made in implementing the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of the Party and the Revolution passed at the 6th Congress. He emphasized the priority of developing new forms of non-state management given the importance these are gaining in the country's economy.
As for changes in the macroeconomic sphere, he emphasized measures approved to address as quickly as possible the settling of accounts payable and receivable in the country.
Discussing developments within different sectors of the economy, the Vice President summarized efforts underway in agriculture and livestock, given this sector's importance within the national economy.
Another important aspect of renewing the Revolution are Cuba's efforts "to confront corruption and social indiscipline," Granma International writes. This work has been undertaken by judicial bodies in the country since 2007. Reports on this work by the People's Supreme Court and the Attorney General of the Republic's Office were presented to deputies during a plenary session by Rubén Remigio Ferro, President of the People's Supreme Court, and Darío Delgado Cura, Attorney General of the Republic.
Ferro emphasized the progress made in fundamental indices reflecting the quality of work done within the judicial system, such as prompt processing, respect for the rights of individuals, adoption of correct decisions and effective enforcement of sanctions. In this context, he reported that 87 per cent of the cases brought before the courts were resolved and 91 per cent of the sentences served.
The President of the Supreme Court focused on the effective implementation of penal policy established by law and the country's leadership. In this light, he explained, the courts have acted with the necessary severity and rigor in dealing with those responsible for acts harmful to national security or economic, political and social stability, as well as the tranquility of the country. A differentiated approach is taken in cases of a less serious nature.
Darío Delgado concurred and described the more severe sanctions requested by prosecutors for those convicted of corruption, fraud, drugs, procurement, illegal slaughter or sale of livestock, theft of equipment for state programs in the energy, telecommunications and railroad sectors, as well as aggravated burglary. At the same time, sentences which do not involve imprisonment, fines and administrative sanctions are reserved for those who committed minor offenses, he added.
"This procedure clearly favours the reintegration of citizens into society," Ferro stated, and has positively impacted work undertaken by the Attorney General's Office implementing policies designed for young offenders, especially policies promoting academic instruction and technical training.
Given the social repercussions of family legal issues, Delgado emphasized the work of state attorneys' offices dealing with such cases, which focuses on the protection of minors who have behaviour problems or are involved in criminal activity.
The Assembly's declaration approving the reports from the two institutions was read by José Luis Toledo Santander, President of the Constitutional and Judicial Affairs Commission, who recommended that the People's Supreme Court and the Attorney General develop a comprehensive analysis of the penal system, looking to incorporate strategies to confront crime concentrating the full force of the state on the most serious crimes, while at the same time, creating more expeditious and less expensive ways of dealing with minor offenses.
(Radio Angulo, Granma International)
January 7, 2012 • Return to Index • Write to: editor@cpcml.ca