22 December 2016
Mineral Products Association welcomes new UK procurement guidelines 22 December 2016
UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed the government’s publication of new procurement guidance including construction materials like cement. The government plans to use local construction materials in infrastructure projects across 18 separate projects by 2020, including rail and roads, and construction such as building and housing refurbishment.
This announcement also follows the new National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, which set out nearly Euro600bn worth of planned private and public investment, and changes to procurement guidance announced by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy to make it easier for UK producers to plan and bid for upcoming government contracts.
The MPA is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Crown Commercial Service to develop government guidance for local procurement for cement and concrete. This will extend beyond the current guidance for designers which advises the use of BES6001 to specify responsibly and ethically sourced concrete and masonry.
“Cement and concrete are essential for UK infrastructure development and housing, and contribute significantly to the UK economy. We welcome this announcement from Greg Clark MP, which re-confirms the government’s commitment to infrastructure capital expenditure, and supports the future of a local cement industry. The cement and concrete industries employ 18,179 people across the regions, including in rural areas, and are key enablers for the Industrial Strategy,” said Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA.
Cement sales and production continue to fall in Puerto Rico 22 December 2016
Puerto Rico: Cement production has fallen by 30% year-on-year to 756,000 bags in the first eleven months of 2016 from 1.08M bags in the same period in 2015. Cement sales fell by 13% in the same period, a faster rate of decline than 8.5% in 2015 and 9.8% in 2014, according to local press. The decline has been attributed to a lack of funding supporting infrastructure projects and a slowdown in the residential construction sector.
Labour ministry comments on Greek cement worker ruling by European Court of Justice 22 December 2016
Greece: The Labour Ministry has said that a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on a group dismissal of workers by the Heracles General Cement Company in 2013 has supported the government’s position on the issue. The ministry has defended its current legislation on mass layoffs, saying that it should be modified not abolished, according to the Athens News Agency.
"We must first clarify that the court's decision does not concern the existing restrictions on mass dismissals, which are absolutely compatible with community law. The court's ruling is confined to the issue of the administrative advance approval of dismissals and the criteria taken into account by Greek authorities to make these decisions," said the labour ministry in a statement. It added that the ruling found that the Greek government was allowed to block mass layoffs under European Union law in certain circumstances.
Hyundai Sungwoo Holdings joins queue of bidders for Hyundai Cement 22 December 2016
South Korea: Hyundai Sungwoo Holdings has reportedly made a bid for Hyundai Cement. It joins a shortlist of potential buyers including Ssangyong Cement Industrial, Halla Cement, United Asset Management Company (UAMCO) and IMM Private Equity, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper. Hyundai Sungwoo Holdings, a manufacturer of car parts, was previously part of the same group that also owned Hyundai Cement.