Las Cristinas: Court issues protective order for strikers to return to work

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 By: David Coleman

Regional daily newspaper El Progreso reports from Ciudad Bolivar that a 2nd Circuit Bolivar State judge has issued a protective order in favor of Canadian gold miner Crystallex against Sintracrystallex trade union, ordering its members to return to work and refrain from impeding normal operations at the Crystallex de Venezuela C.A. contract at Las Cristinas 4, 5, 6 and 7 located in Sifontes municipality.

• Negotiations towards terms in a collective wage agreement will continue as soon as picket lines are removed from the site and normal access is restored.

Sintracrystallex strikers have been blocking access to the mine for more than two weeks.  Crystallex labor negotiator Santiago Gimon Estrada says the court action was made necessary simply to remove the threat of illegal actions against Crystallex operations ... "the relationship between Crystallex and the employees is covered by the Organic Labor Law (LOT) and falls in line with all corresponding agreements."  He adds that the company has brought forward the creation of an internal Health & Safety Committee which will be capable of giving even more worker guarantees in all aspects.

Union-company discussions on the collective wage agreement have been moved to Tumeremo since union officials have expressed the inconvenience of talks being held in Puerto Ordaz. “Taking the talks to Puerto Ordaz would have been a waste of productive time both for the union representatives and for the company and the expenses involved can be put to better use in favor of the workers themselves."

"The strike did not involve all our workers," says Crystallex representative Gimon.  :It was a minority which threatened the physical integrity of their fellow-workers.  There was no need for strike action since the legal procedure would have been to request the intervention of the Labor Ministry to resolve any dispute which reaches deadlock in negotiations with the company itself."

"A process of discussion has now been arrived at.  Reaching a collective wage agreement is always a complex business and requires the goodwill and consensus of all parties involved.  The existence of a union is fundamental to move projects ahead and to achieve peaceful working relationships at Las Cristinas where we have one of the most important gold reserves in Latin America."