Cuba official says state worker layoffs have begun

[El Presidente]

Cuba official says state worker layoffs have begun

HAVANA

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KH6DS82.htm

The head of the Cuban Workers Confederation says the first layoffs have begun in the communist government's program to cut the jobs of 500,000 state workers.

Cuban state-run media quotes Salvador Valdes as saying the initial layoffs are occurring in the sugar, agriculture, tourism, health and construction sectors.

Cuban media, including Monday's edition of the weekly Trabajadores, say Valdes made the comments during a meeting with workers' representatives but don't specify when it took place.

The layoffs are to affect 10 percent of Cuba's government work force and are supposed to finish by March. The job cuts are part of an economic overhaul aimed at slashing government expenditures.

[adic88]

Prez, you've been there as often as any of us. What are your observations of the workers in the cigar industry? Are they generally happy? Are their working conditions good?

[El Presidente]

Prez, you've been there as often as any of us. What are your observations of the workers in the cigar industry? Are they generally happy? Are their working conditions good?

it has been a depressing 12-18 months for the workers particularly in the factories.

Cutbacks, reduced working hours, reduced pay. No chance for overtime or bonuses. It is tough enough for them normally (financially) but there has been a down mood over the past year and a half.

[PigFish]

While I rate all modern incarnations of government as bad, some are worse than others. The tyrants in the Cuban government are not worth the powder it would take to blow them to hell! -

[Ryan]

Cuba official says state worker layoffs have begun

HAVANA

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KH6DS82.htm

Cuban state-run media quotes Salvador Valdes as saying the initial layoffs are occurring in the sugar, agriculture..

I don't get this at all. Doesn't the world need ethanol. Converting sugarcane to ethanol is much more efficient than corn. Cuba could export billions of dollars worth annually. The biomass left over would probably provide all their electricity needs.

[fred170]

I don't get this at all. Doesn't the world need ethanol. Converting sugarcane to ethanol is much more efficient than corn. Cuba could export billions of dollars worth annually. The biomass left over would probably provide all their electricity needs.

Hi Ryan,

You bring up an excellent point. The problem is that no country will trade with Cuba, except for a few: China, Vietnam, North Korea, Venezuela etc (Notice, all of these countries were once enemies of the US but we managed to forgive them except for N Korea and Venezuela) . Also, the Blockade doesn't help much either being that Cuba was cut off from the Sugar Quota for pretty much the whole world.

[fred170]

it has been a depressing 12-18 months for the workers particularly in the factories.

Cutbacks, reduced working hours, reduced pay. No chance for overtime or bonuses. It is tough enough for them normally (financially) but there has been a down mood over the past year and a half.

Hello Prez,

I was there in August for the Despedida del Verano concerts and my observations were similar to yours. No one was festive and people had worried looks on their faces. I spoke to friends that work for the healthcare system and Cubadebate (on line news) and they feel what we in the US felt in 2008. All we cn do is hope for the best for Cuba which has suffered enough in its history.

[Ryan]

The problem is that no country will trade with Cuba, except for a few: China, Vietnam, North Korea, Venezuela etc (Notice, all of these countries were once enemies of the US but we managed to forgive them except for N Korea and Venezuela) . Also, the Blockade doesn't help much either being that Cuba was cut off from the Sugar Quota for pretty much the whole world.

That's not really the case. Every country in the world trades with Cuba. The US is the only one that doesn't officially, in reality the US is one of Cuba's largest trading partners but should be much much bigger, if it wasn't for the embargo.

[rfenst]

The worldwide recession is affedting every country in one way or another. Under the circumstances, one would expect decreased demand for Cuba's cigars.

Perhaps Cuba should consider decreasing its cigar prices so that any increase in demand will benefit those who have had their hours reduced or have lost there jobs. This would increase the government's cash-flow, even if the temporarye, and benefit it's citizens.

As to ethanol, perhaps I am a jaded American, but who in their right mind would be willing to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars to build necessary infrastructure in a country that is not politically stable? Who knows when Castro will die and what will occur politically thereafter...