Economy
The largest steel in the country
Government formalizes nationalization of Sidor


The vice president of the Republic, Ramon Carrizález, said that until the last moment the company showed an attitude contrary to the interests of workers

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Workers held nationalization of Sidor

"What should happen at the hands of the Venezuelan State"

Caracas, 09 April 2008 / Despite efforts to reach an agreement with Ternium-Sidor, the vice president of the Republic, Ramon Carrizález, during a press conference with Minister of People's Power for Basic Industries and Mining, Rodolfo Sanz, officially informed the country that ordered the nationalization of Sidor.

"After a long process of unsuccessful negotiations to settle the dispute with its workers of Sidor, President Hugo Chavez made the decision in the early hours of Wednesday to take control of Siderurgica del Orinoco, a company that is privatized for ten years "gave the senior official.

He explained that Sidor - privatized in 1997 - went through a series of ups and downs and in times of crisis because of the low profitability went to require their workers to sacrifice many of the benefits enjoyed, and even retrenchment.

"We feel those of the transnational an attitude of colonizer, there were proposals and counterproposals that we consider disrespectful to the workers because they offend the intelligence of any person," he said.

Chronology of conflict

The Vice-President took the opportunity to give details of how it was negotiating to reach a decision to nationalize the industry. "Over a year ago the collective contract expired and since then it is in a negotiation process that has been overcome various fora."

He described that there was a high-level commission with the participation of the Minister of Labour, Jose Ramon Rivero, the Minister of Basic Industries and Mining, Rodolfo Sanz, the governor of the state of Bolivar, Francisco Rangel Gomez, and various stakeholders to find a solution to conflict.

"The agreements reached in various clauses, but there were three key points on which no consensus was reached due to the inflexible position of the company", which generated the conflict is prolonged for several months and would start production problems of public order , employment and economic advancement.

In this light-affirmed Carrizález-President Hugo Chavez appointed him to seek a final solution to this problem and avoid further prolonging.

Therefore, on Monday held a meeting with representatives of the Single Union of Industry Workers and Allied Steel (Sutiss) and in the evening he met with representatives of the company. However, the transnational until the last minute had an attitude contrary to the interests of workers.

Then, when consulted President Hugo Chavez, who "instructed me to inform that the national government took control of the company", added the vice president of the Republic.

Shar / VTV