The team’s line-up is made up of members of efficient industries in Ciego de Avila.

The best and brightest of the trade union movement in the industrial sector of the central province of Ciego de Avila are taking part in the final sessions of the 3rd National Conference of the Trade Union of Industrial Workers, which began yesterday and will conclude today in Havana.

Ismany Hernández Sarduy, secretary general of the organisation’s Provincial Bureau and head of the delegation to the conclave, reported that the necessary recovery of productive levels and the strengthening of the work of the trade union sections, is the focus of attention in the debates.

She said that material and financial limitations hinder the fulfilment of economic plans, «but there are reliable examples, she said, that with initiatives better results can be achieved in the production of goods and the provision of services to keep light industry, iron and steel, metal-mechanics, electronics, chemicals, recycling and local industries active».

The youngest, at 25 years of age, is the only direct delegate among the Avileños participating in the meeting and represents the members of the union’s maintenance and machining section of the Juan Antonio Márquez Brush and Plastic Articles Company, the only one of its kind in the country that produces household utensils.

He is Richard Yera Aguilar, a member of the Youth Technical Brigades with relevant awards who has provided solutions to the manufacturing process in the entity known as Cepil.

«Despite the operational interruptions due to power shortages and low levels of imported raw materials, we strengthened the link with the recycling entity and the production chains with centres in other provinces, which enabled us to revive the production of plastic brooms, meet this year’s sales plan, get closer to the materialisation of the annual production plan that closed October at 97 percent and other achievements,» said the innovator.

For Ridalma Ríos Caminos, representing the members of the Unidad Empresarial de Base (UEB) Muebles Lídex, «the union has to demand more in terms of solutions to the issues reiterated in the members’ assemblies related to the need to improve working conditions, the quality of personal protective equipment, spare parts, workers’ transport, and the low wages, especially for equipment operators and seamstresses, concerns that were raised again in the process of this conference at all levels».

Remuneration is the most recurrent issue. In this respect, Ismany Hernández Sarduy alleged that, despite the fact that the industrial sector does not have companies with economic losses in the territory of Avila, in some entities they do not take advantage of the legal norms implemented to decentralise the wage system, and the entire workforce does not benefit from the profits because in some centres the fund created for this purpose is very low or the accounting is not certified.

«Other issues that require higher priority is the application of science and innovation, it is counterproductive in these times of shortages that in units with technological obsolescence they do not give full attention to innovators, as it is also vital to solve the problem of insufficient processing of awards to encourage the best workers,» said Luis Enrique Cruz Dominguez, of the Metal Mechanics Company Indalecio Montejo.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Peña Barban, from the UEB de Producciones de Aluminio (Proalum), considered that it was urgent to increase efforts to combat crime, illegalities and corruption in the workplaces.

The great challenge after the great national event of the Union of Industries consists of transforming its integral functioning in the next five years, with a view to extolling the work of those who contribute most to the economic and social development of the country from their jobs, recovering levels of productive activity, increasing exports and rescuing the industrial culture, among other priorities.