Displaying items by tag: Strike

Spain: Following more than two months of industrial action, unions at Cementos Rezola, part of the German conglomerate Heidelberg Materials, have agreed to conclude their strike. This decision comes after extensive negotiations regarding a redundancy plan introduced in June 2024, which initially proposed dismissing 56 out of 102 employees. The agreement includes provisions for no forced dismissals, leading the Basque nationalist union to call off the strike.

Under the terms of the settlement brokered by the other unions, several workers will enter early retirement and nine workers will be relocated to the company's Arrigorriaga plant. This plant transfer is part of a strategic move to concentrate clinker production at a facility that is better equipped to meet stringent environmental standards and deliver greater operational efficiency. The revised redundancy plan also converted four initially forced exits into voluntary or early retirements after further negotiations, with the remaining two being reintegrated into the company.

Pakistan: Cement producers across Pakistan have initiated an indefinite nationwide strike in response to increased withholding and turnover taxes introduced in the federal budget for 2024-25. The mandatory implementation of Point of Sale systems has also been criticised, due to a lack of resources and training. The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association is urging the government to adopt a presumptive tax regime to mitigate these challenges. Meanwhile, despite domestic challenges, Pakistan's cement exports rose by 40.5% in the first 11 months of the 2023-2024 financial year (FY23-24), which ended on 30 June 2024. reaching almost US$237m from US$168m in the corresponding period in FY22-23.

Portugal: Workers from Cimpor, along with those from its subsidiaries Ciarga Argamassas, Serviços and Sacopor, will participate in a three-day strike from 16 – 19 April 2024. The Portuguese Federation of Construction, Ceramics and Glass Trade Unions (FEVICCOM) announced that strike rallies are scheduled for 8am daily near the entrances to cement plants in Souselas, Alhandra and Loulé.

The workers are demanding an 8% salary increase in 2024, with a minimum of €200, a 37-hour work week starting 1 January 2025, annual bonuses, shift work compensation and public holidays in continuous work regimes. Cimpor management previously raised salaries by 4.5% at the start of 2024. This is above the inflation rate in Portugal and twice the increase seen by the civil service. Cimpor added that it had previously increased salaries above the rate of inflation in previous years.

South Korea: The Korean Railway Workers’ Union called a four-day strike of its 13,000 members across South Korea on 14 September 2023. Reuters has reported that the union is seeking higher pay, improved working conditions and the expansion of bullet train services into South Seoul. The Ministry of Transport predicts that total cargo haulage will drop by 53 - 79%. The Korean Cement Association (KCA) said that a protracted strike would disrupt cement production. The industry is 40% reliant on rail transport.

A representative from a KCA member said “We have secured some inventory in preparation for the strike, but it's not a lot. If the strike lengthens, we will have to convert to land transport, which will drive up costs and hit profitability."

South Korea: A strike forced Korea Cement to suspend production at its integrated Jangseong cement plant from 8am on 13 June 2023. Investing News has reported the cause of the strike as a dispute over collective bargaining between the company and workers at the plant.

Korea Cement said “If the production suspension continues for more than six months, the company may be subject to delisting review by the Korea Exchange."

French Guiana: 27 of 30 workers at Ciments Guyainais’ Rémire-Montjoly grinding plant in Cayenne went on strike on 12 June 2023. The strikers advised management that they launched strike action because the current direction of the company is ‘disastrous.’ They have requested that senior representatives of parent company Grupo Argos attend a meeting with them.

Portail des Outre-mer News has reported that Ciments Guyainais holds a 100% market share in French Guiana. It supplied 107,000t of cement to customers in 2022, up by 8.6% year-on-year from 98,500t in 2021.

Mauritania: The National Confederation of Mauritanian Workers has called a seven-day strike of Ciments de l’Afrique (CIMAF) employees from 31 May to 6 June 2023. IHS Global Insight Daily News has reported that the union called the strike over working conditions at the company and to demand that it elect workers’ representatives. The strike will likely result in cement supply disruptions and backlogs at export terminals.

Mongolia: L Naranbaatar, the head of Khutul Cement and Lime, has responded to a strike at the company by outlining changes made since it was nationalised in 2022. Workers are protesting with demands to add wage incentives and to appoint managers from within the company, according to the UB Post newspaper. They have also alleged that the company is spending its budget illegally.

During a press conference Naranbaatar explained that the company produced 403,000t of cement in 2022, an increase from 2021. It reported a profit of US$3.3m in 2022, the first time it had made a profit in the last decade. However, the producer’s wage bill nearly doubled to just below US$6m in 2022. The company also spent US$2.25m on upgrades to the plant in 2022, the first such investment made in five years, compared to US$171,000 spent on maintenance in 2021.

Former economist L Naranbaatar was appointed as the head of Khutul Cement and Lime in March 2022. The company was transferred to the Development Bank of Mongolia when the heir of the previous owners refused to accept the inheritance.

Guinea: Employees from Diamond Cement began a strike on 2 March 2023. Sékouba Kouyaté, 1st delegate of the Diamond Cement workers' union, said “We have decided to go on strike under articles 431.1; 431.2; 431.3 and following of the labour code of the Republic of Guinea. To this end, it should be reiterated that the reason for this strike is the categorical refusal of the general management to open a framework for frank and credible dialogue. We pitifully deplore the fate of the workers working in this company from construction until now, more particularly in its intermediary companies that no longer comply with article 135.7 of the labor code. Enough is enough.”

US: 100 Workers at Continental Cement's Hannibal cement plant in Missouri are on strike against alleged unfair labour practices. IndustriALL Global Union has accused the producer of restricting employees' say in schedules, overtime and cross training requirements at the plant, as well as of withholding information necessary for bargaining. The union additionally alleged that the company was discriminatory in its termination of contracts. The workers have continued to work amid on-going contract renegotiations following the expiry of a collective agreement between them and the producer in May 2022.

IndustriALL Global Union said "Continental Cement’s actions have left workers no other options but to make their voices heard by striking against unfair labour practices. We are determined to fight for the fair contract. It's time for Continental Cement to follow the law and negotiate in good faith for a fair contract.”