HAVANA, September 25 (Ohalis Victore, Cuba Voz) - One hundred and fourteen
workers were furloughed from the "Hermanos Arafet" slaughterhouse, a
part of the "El Miño" meat enterprise. They were not given any
explanations for the move.
Human rights activist Antonio Fernández says that a high percentage
of the affected workers are heads of families and many of them are the only
sources of income for their households.
The workers virtually constituted the whole workforce of the slaughterhouse
and will receive 60 percent of their salaries for six months. There has been no
word yet on alternate jobs, which they had been promised by the plant's
directors.
Some of the workers were veterans at their jobs, which they had held since
before 1959 when the plant was taken over by the government.
Some say the increase in meat thefts was the cause behind the government's
decision to close the plant. After the beginning of the "special period"
in 1990, theft increased, primarily in industries processing foodstuffs, as a
result of generalized scarcity.
Other usual causes for layoffs are the so-called "workforce adjustments"
which started along with the special period; and "inadequacy" for a
position, meaning less than sterling political or ideological credentials and
usually applied to dissidents.
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