Sobre Boicot Flor de Caña y la IRC: CST rechaza iniciativa antiobrera

Líder de CST rechaza proyecto de ley Porras

*** Porque mandaría al desempleo a 15 mil obreros de los ingenios

Por: Luis Núñez Salmerón - http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2009/11/14/nacionales/7802

La Central Sandinista de Trabajadores (CST) calificó de antiobrera la iniciativa de ley que propuso el presidente ejecutivo del Instituto Nicaragüense de Seguridad Social (INSS), Roberto López, en la que pretenden modernizar la producción azucarera a través de ley.

“El día de ayer (jueves) nos reunimos todos los sindicatos de la industria azucarera y lo que nos encontramos en esta propuesta es una propuesta antiobrera”, aseveró el líder de la CST, Roberto González.

Y es que la propuesta pretende mecanizar la producción azucarera, explicó González, quien agrega que “lo que promueve en el fondo es el desempleo”.

“Provocará desempleos masivos porque la afectación de esta propuesta, según nuestros cálculos, significarían 15 mil obreros a las calles. Es inaceptable”, reiteró el líder de la CST.

“Lo que promueve en el fondo (el proyecto de ley) es el desempleo y en condiciones actuales de crisis del mundo y en el país yo no creo que esto sea un planteamiento del Presidente de la República. El Presidente ha dicho claro que para sacar al país en medio de la crisis es que hay que preservar el empleo, no veo a este funcionario (a López) en sintonía con el planteamiento del Presidente de la República y lo que hace es generar incertidumbre”, destacó González, quien además mantiene una fuerte disputa con el diputado y dirigente sindical Gustavo Porras, secretario general del Frente Nacional de los Trabajadores (FNT), y considerado el poder detrás del INSS.

La propuesta estaría siendo trabajada por la Comisión de Salud y Seguridad Social de la Asamblea Nacional, cuyo presidente es precisamente Gustavo Porras. Esta comisión está compuesta por 12 diputados de los cuales siete son sandinistas, dos del PLC, y tres de la Bancada Democrática Nicaragüense (BDN).

PRETENDEN AUMENTAR TASA DEL INSS EMPRESARIAL

El mencionado proyecto —sostiene González— contempla, entre otras cosas, un incremento en la tasa del INSS empresarial, pasando del 1.5 al 5 por ciento. De ese incremento se creará un fondo para la atención a los obreros afectados por la enfermedad de insuficiencia renal crónica.

Y además, el proyecto contempla transformar el modelo azucarero por la vía de la mecanización del sector.

MARCHARÁN CONTRA PROYECTO DE PORRAS

En este sentido, González anunció que van a oponerse por todos los medios a esta iniciativa. Dijo que marcharán hacia la Asamblea Nacional y prepararán un anteproyecto de ley en el que se busque cómo garantizar el empleo de la industria azucarera.

“No nos oponemos a un pro ceso de modernización, pero eso tiene que ser gradual. Obviamente el proyecto tiene que incluir preservación mayoritaria de los puestos de trabajo de la industria azucarera”, explicó González.

Agregó que también tienen contemplado reunirse con toda la industria azucarera y los empresarios de la misma para analizar la situación.

RECHAZAN MANIPULACIÓN DE PORRAS Y LÓPEZ

Por su parte el Comité Nacional de Productores de Azúcar emitió un pronunciamiento en el que rechazan esta iniciativa y el vínculo que hace tanto el presidente del INSS como el dirigente sindical y diputado, Gustavo Porras, de la enfermedad con la industria azucarera.

“No existe ningún estudio científico hecho por alguna institución seria y reconocida que establezca un vínculo de causalidad entre la insuficiencia renal crónica y la industria azucarera”, expresan los azucareros. Al mismo tiempo rechazan la poca información que posee el presidente del INSS sobre el proceso de producción de azúcar.

“El señor López nos insta a mecanizar las actividades azucareras aduciendo equivocadamente que la cosecha manual no se practica en otras naciones (le invitamos a que haga consultas e investigaciones pertinentes en países como Brasil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, México y Cuba, donde parte de la producción de caña se cosecha manualmente”, indicaron.

AZUCAREROS APORTAN 4 POR CIENTO DEL PIB

Al mismo tiempo los azucareros expresan su preocupación a través de este comunicado, ya que este sector aporta el cuatro por ciento del Producto Interno Bruto (PIB), “generando empleos directos a más de cien mil trabajadores”.

González propuso la creación de un fondo para atender a los afectados por insuficiencia renal, pero manejado de manera independiente, “la historia nos dice que todo lo que pasa por el Seguro Social todos los gobiernos le han metido mano”.

Más sobre el Boicot a Flor de Caña y la IRC: Azucareros de Nicaragua se pronuncian

PRONUNCIAMIENTO DEL COMITÉ NACIONAL DE PRODUCTORES DE AZÚCAR DE NICARAGUA (CNPA) SOBRE DECLARACIONES DEL PRESIDENTE DEL INSS

La Agroindustria Azucarera Nicaragüense, organizada en el Comité Nacional de Productores de Azúcar, ha conocido con sorpresa y preocupación las declaraciones del Director Ejecutivo del INSS, señor Roberto López, en relación a un supuesto vínculo entre la enfermedad de la insuficiencia renal crónica y la industria azucarera. A este respecto, queremos comunicar a la ciudadanía nicaragüense lo siguiente:

1. Al día de hoy no existe ningún estudio científico hecho por alguna institución seria y reconocida que establezca un vínculo de causalidad entre la Insuficiencia Renal Crónica y la industria azucarera. Consideramos que por la naturaleza del organismo que el señor López dirige y su relación con organizaciones e instituciones especializadas en este tema, el no ignora esto, por lo que sus declaraciones nos llenan de perplejidad.

2. Es ampliamente conocido que las empresas azucareras de Nicaragua poseen un excelente sistema de salud con el que protegen a sus trabajadores y a sus familias y que desarrollan vigorosas prácticas de Responsabilidad Social donde la protección del medio ambiente ocupa un lugar fundamental. Nuestros sistemas de trabajo y de gestión, basados en prestigiosas normativas, son acreditados y auditados por reconocidas instituciones internacionales. Asimismo estamos sujetos a revisiones periódicas por parte de entidades estatales que pueden dar testimonio de nuestro cumplimiento de la legislación y normativas de trabajo vigentes, razón por la cual estas mismas instituciones nos han otorgado en numerosas oportunidades certificaciones de reconocimiento.

3. Existen sectores que quieren desacreditar a nuestra industria y que promueven versiones distorsionadas sobre la enfermedad renal, generando antagonismos que lo único que han hecho es obstaculizar la búsqueda de una explicación y solución a esta problemática de salud pública. Nos extraña sobremanera ver a un funcionario de gobierno como el señor López sirviendo como caja de resonancia de activistas políticos reconocidos por su feroz oposición a la empresa privada de nuestro país.

4. El señor López nos insta a mecanizar las actividades azucareras aduciendo equivocadamente que la cosecha manual no se práctica en otras naciones (le invitamos a que haga las consultas e investigaciones pertinentes en países como Brasil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, México y Cuba, donde parte de la producción de caña se cosecha manualmente). Una de las razones por la que se sigue practicando la cosecha manual es por la importante cantidad de empleos que esta actividad genera, lo que a nuestro entender es también un tema relevante a ser considerado en nuestro país.

5. Expresamos nuestra preocupación al Gobierno de Nicaragua, y en especial al señor Presidente de la República por estas declaraciones, hechas a pocos días de que se inicie la producción de azúcar y de energía en el marco de la zafra 2009-2010, ya que consideramos que atentan contra la estabilidad de nuestras empresas y de un sector que es responsable del 4% del PIB nacional generando empleos directos e indirectos a más de cien mil trabajadores.

6. Dejamos constancia una vez más que estamos en la total disposición de contribuir, en el límite de nuestras posibilidades, a la realización de estudios científicos serios que con la participación de instituciones de salud del Gobierno, tengan como objetivo determinar las causas de esta enfermedad en nuestro país. Reiteramos también nuestra voluntad de continuar apoyando, en el marco de nuestras políticas de Responsabilidad Social, diferentes iniciativas que contribuyan a mejorar el nivel de vida de las comunidades y sectores vulnerables de las zonas donde operan nuestras empresas.

Dado en la Ciudad de Managua, a los trece días del mes de noviembre del 2009

Boycott Grupo Pellas: CKD (CRI) causes to be investigated in Nicaragua’s west region

Determining the specific cause of CKD (CRI) in Nicaragua’s west region through a scientific study is a common objective shared by Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited (NSEL), a subsidiary of Grupo Pellas that owns the San Antonio sugar mill, and the Chichigalpa Association for Life (ASOCHIVIDA), the most important association of CRI patients in this Central American country. This is especially relevant in light of the defamation campaign by a group called ANAIRC against NSEL, which has been extended to the Flor de Caña brand and Grupo Pellas in general, with the aim of linking this disease, without any basis, to the sugarcane activities carried out in the San Antonio sugar mill, in order to obtain unjustified monetary compensation from this company.

NSEL and ASOCHIVIDA agreed to select Boston University, a well-known U.S. university with impeccable and indisputable credentials, for the research study, so that the results of the study are reliable and trustworthy for all parties.

This important decision is the result of a fluent dialogue between NSEL and ASOCHIVIDA over the last few months, which was convened by the World Bank’s Compliance Advisor and Ombudsman (CAO) and held under a Frame Agreement proposed by this institution.

Widespread Announcement in America and Europe

The selection of Boston University was preceded by an exhaustive analysis, in which ASOCHIVIDA and NSEL defined the criteria and principles that would govern the study, which led to the drafting of a document containing the terms of reference for the selection of the scientific team, which was widely disseminated in both Spanish and English.

An evaluation methodology was developed, with support from CAO, which was based on a criteria and scoring matrix. Later on, 9 public agencies, 22 universities in America and Europe and 5 private consulting firms were invited to submit proposals for the study.

When the date specified in the work timetable expired, nine proposals had been received, four from prestigious universities and five from private consulting firms. The review process began immediately thereafter, following the criteria and scoring matrix, which led to the selection of Boston University (BU).

Serious and Rigorous Study

Boston University is currently completing the first phase of the study, which will define the next steps for completing the study.

With the objective of carrying out this study in a rigorous manner, Boston University reviewed all documentation and literature on CRI available in Nicaragua and elsewhere.

In a fact-finding trip to Nicaragua, the BU team interviewed persons and organizations related to the CRI issue and later presented its findings and hypotheses to ASOCHIVIDA and NSEL, with the objective of preparing a preliminary proposal for the complete study. On this occasion, BU heard the concerns, criticisms and comments that were expressed by both organizations.

BU has inserted the comments of ASOCHIVIDA and NSEL in its report and has sent it to other experts in the United States and Nicaragua for their review.

All this work serves to illustrate what can be achieved for the benefit of a country’s population when the private enterprise and civil society organizations come together and endeavor to contribute, with a constructive spirit, to the solution of problems.

For the purpose of making known the truth about these issues, Nicaragua Sugar created a website titled “Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited and Chronic Kidney Failure”. The address is www.laverdadnsel.com.

The official website of Nicaragua Sugar also contains abundant information about the company´s productive and social responsibility practices. The address is www.nicaraguasugar.com.

Other links of interest:

http://laverdadchichigalpa.wordpress.com

http://www.youtube.com/grupopellas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor_de_Caña

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Pellas_Chamorro

http://nicaraguasugarirc.wordpress.com/

http://boicotflordecana.wordpress.com/

http://boicotflordecana.blog.com/

http://boycottflordecana.blogspot.com/

http://carlospellasirc.wordpress.com/

http://boicotgrupopellas.wordpress.com/

http://boicotgrupopellas.blogspot.com/

http://boicotgrupopellas.blog.com/

http://boicotpellas.wordpress.com/

http://grupopellas.wordpress.com/

Carlos Pellas Chamorro, Navigating Nicaragua

Carlos Pellas Chamorro is directly involved in just about everything in Nicaragua but politics, a choice he says that has helped his family thrive for over a century. Pellas is the controlling shareholder of Grupo Pellas, a conglomerate involved in banking, sugar, rum, ethanol, media, insurance, citrus, health care, auto dealerships and high-end tourism that employs 25,000 people.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/20/grupo-pellas-nicaragua-business-chamorro.html

Boycott against Grupo Pellas: UITA calls dialogue, Nicaragua Sugar dialogues

Gerardo Iglesias, secretary of the Latin American regional office of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (UITA), recently called to a dialogue between the Nicaraguan Association of Persons Affected by Chronic Kidney Failure (ANAIRC) and Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited during his recent visit to Nicaragua.


In relation to this call, we must highlight that Nicaragua Sugar, a company that belongs to Grupo Pellas, in keeping with its vocation of dialogue with the community, has been maintaining a fluid dialogue over the past few months with the Chichigalpa Association for life (ASOCHIVIDA), the most important organization representing CKF patients in Nicaragua’s west region.

In contrast with ANAIRC’s proposals, which only seek to obtain unjustified monetary compensation from NSEL, ASOCHIVIDA, in its dialogue with NSEL, instead of proposing a boycott against Grupo Pellas has approached the company to ask that it contribute to the solution of this health problem that is affecting the population in the west.

ASOCHIVIDA’s attitude is notable, with whom NSEL has jointly agreed to define the criteria for conducting a study that identifies the causes of CKF in Nicaragua. It has also been agreed, without any legal obligation other than the good will of the parties, that NSEL will provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the situation of CKF patients and their families, which is something the company has been doing within its social responsibility policies.

Ariel Granera, the Corporate Communications Director of Grupo Pellas, has emphasized that Nicaragua Sugar and Compañía Licorera have always been open to constructive dialogue concerning the problems affecting the community, but he also warned that a dialogue cannot be established with the persons that are purportedly represented by ANAIRC under the premise that the company is guilty and therefore is obligated to pay compensation.

The problem of the dialogue with ANAIRC is that this organization wants to unlawfully profit from a company that fully complies with all environmental and occupational safety standards required by the country’s laws and has verily shown that it is faithful to its social responsibility policies.

For the purpose of making known the truth about these issues, Nicaragua Sugar created a website titled “Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited and Chronic Kidney Failure”. The address is www.laverdadnsel.com.

The official website of Nicaragua Sugar also contains abundant information about the company´s productive and social responsibility practices. The address is www.nicaraguasugar.com.

Other links of interest:

http://boicotgrupopellas.wordpress.com/


http://grupopellas.wordpress.com

http://nicaraguasugarirc.wordpress.com/

http://carlospellasirc.wordpress.com/

http://laverdadchichigalpa.wordpress.com

http://boicotflordecana.wordpress.com/

http://boicotgrupopellas.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/grupopellas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor_de_Caña

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Pellas_Chamorro

Grupo Pellas: ANAIRC proposes to silence sensible voices of unions that reject Boycott to Flor de Caña

The Nicaraguan Association of Persons Affected by Chronic Kidney Failure (ANAIRC), in its unfounded campaign against Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited that seeks to associate chronic kidney failure to the company’s economic activity, has publicly proposed to silence not only the company’s arguments, but also the sensible voices of the unions that have expressed through the pages of Indymedia and Bellaciao their rejection of the boycott against Flor de Caña and Grupo Pellas.

This proposal, redolent of a totalitarian mentality, evidences the despair of an organization that does not cease to lie, even inventing non-existent death figures that have not been confirmed by the country’s authorities and are not based on any serious study by any national institution.

To justify their unlawful enrichment claims through blackmail, which are affecting the labor stability of the workers more than the Grupo Pellas companies, ANAIRC has resorted to slander, putting at risk the well-being of thousands of families to whom NSEL and Compañía Licorera guarantee work, development for their communities and multiple benefits through the social responsibility policies promoted by these companies.

Faced by this unjustified attitude of ANAIRC, more than 2,000 workers of Ingenio San Antonio and Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua came to Managua on May 29 to express their support to these two companies.

At the front of the workers marched the main leaders of all the unions that exist in the Ingenio San Antonio and Compañía Licorera, as well as national leaders of trade union confederations: Roberto González, Sandinista Workers´ Confederation (CST), José Espinoza Navas, Confederation of Union Unification (CUS), and Carlos Martinez, Autonomous Confederation of Union Unification.

In the press releases issued by these organizations, they not only emphasize that the accusations against Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited are completely unfounded, but also reject the doubts voiced against the role played by these unions in defense of the rights of the affiliated workers.

"We are surprised by the slanders uttered against freedom of association in the Ingenio and Licorera because, in case you don’t know, five unions exist in the Ingenio San Antonio that are duly constituted before the Ministry of Labor and we are all signatories of the current collective agreement, which stipulates the benefits that this company grants us workers, not as of this year, but ever since this company was founded in 1890", noted on its part the “Faustino Martinez” Ingenio San Antonio Workers Union. “Ingenio San Antonio is actually the economic lung through which our city breathes. From this sugar mill derive the great socioeconomic improvements that have been obtained, which is why we declare with much honor that the campaign launched by organizations like IUTA, ANAIR and the FLOR DE CAÑA rum boycott group is hasty because it seeks to leave aside the conquests achieved, putting at risk scholarships, professional technicians, food supplies, healthcare and, in a nutshell, progress in Chichigalpa", expressed the Ingenio San Antonio Democratic Workers’ Union.

The pro-Sandinista “Ronald Altamirano” Revolutionary Workers’ Union, also joined the unions’ rejection of this defamatory campaign against NSEL: "Gentlemen of IUTA and ANAIRC, before you make false accusations, we invite you to know more in depth about the social vindications we have achieved, such as a hospital for us workers and our family nucleus ―a unique experience in Latin America―, a school for our children, who later receive scholarships for university studies, and many other benefits embodied in our collective agreement", indicates the communiqué of the Ronald Altamirano Union.

For the purpose of making known the truth about these issues, Nicaragua Sugar created a website titled "Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited and Chronic Kidney Failure". The address is www.laverdadnsel.com.

Further, the official website of Nicaragua Sugar contains abundant information about the company’s productive and social responsibility practices. The address is www.nicaraguasugar.com.

Other links of interest:
http://www.youtube.com/grupopellas


http://grupopellas.wordpress.com

http://nicaraguasugarirc.wordpress.com/

http://carlospellasirc.wordpress.com/

http://laverdadchichigalpa.wordpress.com

http://boicotflordecana.wordpress.com/

http://boicotgrupopellas.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/grupopellas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor_de_Caña

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Pellas_Chamorro

Boycott against Grupo Pellas: Nicaragua Sugar delivers humanitarian aid to CKD patients

As a result of the dialogue process that Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited (owner of Ingenio San Antonio and part of the Pellas Group) has been holding for several months with the Association of Chichigalpa for Life (ASOCHIVIDA), the most important organization of CKD patients in the west of Nicaragua, the company, within its social responsibility policy framework, has begun to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the situation of CKD patients and their families, without any legal obligation other than the goodwill that stimulates both parties.

Thus Nicaragua Sugar is currently granting a food subsidy to 1,800 CKD patients and recently made a first delivery of funds to the Chichigalpa Mayor's Office as part of an initiative to provide decent housing to the people afflicted by this disease.

Ezekiel Ramírez, President of ASOCHIVIDA, in recent statements to the media, highlighted the importance of the dialogue process between this association and Nicaragua Sugar in referring to the humanitarian aid they have received to date from the company.

The ASOCHIVIDA President also expressed the satisfaction felt by the affected people with the first results achieved through this dialogue: "They are very happy as help is beginning to reach the sick", he said. "We have an agreement signed with the company to resolve all these problems. A study will be conducted to determine the causes of CKD", he stated.

In contrast to the false statements made by the Nicaraguan Association of People Affected by Chronic Renal Failure (ANAIRC) that seeks to obtain unjustified monetary compensation from Nicaragua Sugar through a discrediting and disinformation campaign, ASOCHIVIDA, instead of proposing a boycott against the Pellas Group and Flor de Caña opted to dialogue with the company in order to jointly address this health issue that is affecting the population in the west. Today this dialogue is bearing fruit.

With the aim of making known the truth about these issues, Nicaragua Sugar has created a website called Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited and Chronic Kidney Failure. The address is www.laverdadnsel.com. In addition, Nicaragua Sugar’s official website contains abundant information on the company’s productive and social responsibility practices. The address of this website is www.nicaraguasugar.com.

Other links of interest:
http://boicotgrupopellas.wordpress.com/
http://grupopellas.wordpress.com/
http://nicaraguasugarirc.wordpress.com/
http://carlospellasirc.wordpress.com/
http://laverdadchichigalpa.wordpress.com/
http://boicotflordecana.wordpress.com/
http://boicotgrupopellas.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/grupopellas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor_de_Caña
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Pellas_Chamorro