2008-10-02 11:50:17 - Stepping up the political blame-game ahead of November 23 local and regional elections, Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) aluminum processing subsidiary CVG-Bauxilum's 'interim' president, Alfredo Arcila (who is also vice president of the CVG holing corporation itself) is claiming that the company's labor and operational crisis is entirely the fault of the anti-Chavez opposition ... he claims that the situation is "compromising the future of the (Venezuelan) state" and that the labor force's call for much-needed central government investment in the state-owned industry and that their calls for immediate payment of several years overdue wages and social benefits (pensions etc) are "illegal and putting at risk the essential equipment for the production of alumina."

VHeadline editor & publisher Roy S. Carson writes:

An array of labor unions have totally rejected the new CVG-Bauxilum president's "final final" offer of Bs.F 80 million (roughly US$40 million) to pay-off suppliers, contractors and labor liabilities that currently amount to well over $300 million ... one of the union leaders at Bauxilum, Antonio Rivas, says "our jobs must now

be allowed to die, because we will no longer give in to this situation -- it would be irresponsible of us to be accomplices to what is happening!"

Arcila is certainly making quite a name for himself as a new broom, parachuted in to the CVG-Bauxilum executive role after the ignominious political sacking of Lt. Col. Hector Herrera Jimenez who had held the presidency of CVG-Bauxilum for just over a week after taking on the appointment at the behest of Venezuela's Vice President Ramon Carrizales, apparently behind the back of CVG president & CEO, Rodolfo Sanz.

Sanz had been so infuriated over Herrera Jimenez unilateral appointment by VP Carrizalez that he specifically made a phone call from Beijing, during President Hugo Chavez Frias' visit to China, order the luckless Lt. Col to pack his bags with immediate effect after discovering that Herrera Jimenez was chairman of political organization opposed to many of the excesses and corruption within the President's newly-formed United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

Despite the uncertainty of his 'interim' tenure, Arcila remains obstinate and refuses to meet with labor representatives until they give in to his edict. He says that further delay in their acceptance of his Bs.F 80 million offer -- described as derisory by unions and shop-floor managers -- "will put at risk the operation of equipment by the lack of due attention every day." He adds "I have made my pronouncement on the conflict, and there will be no more proposals above and beyond 80 million!"

Arcila goes further to claim that the current strike does NOT affect the supply of alumina feed stocks to Alcasa and Venalum and that the union demands originate from "political sectors linked to the opposition" and that they form "part of a destabilization plan" against the Chavez government.

Astonishingly he says that one needs only to review local media coverage "to know who the ring-leaders are " but that "steps are being taken" to combat what he is substantially quoted as saying are "criminal" protest actions which are "injurious to the national patrimony."

"I cannot understand why the (union) leadership has rejected the offer, which will remain open. If they do not accept it, there will be a gradual deterioration of the factory," Arcila adds insisting that President Hugo Chavez has said that he is doing "everything necessary." He also rejects what he describes as rumors of Rodolfo Sanz' dismissals from both the CVG corporate presidency and the Ministry of Basic Industries & Mining (Mibam) ... he says the rumors are getting "stranger and stranger" and that he (Arcila) and Sanz "are alive and kicking."

Roy S. Carson