The basic question: Are the Chinese owners/managers running the Mirador/Pangui copper project in Ecuador (the company name is ECSA) going to model themselves on the smart, socially responsible Chinese running the Toromocho project in Peru, or are they going to use the fuckwit asshole Chinese management that run the Shougang mine in Peru as their model? Here’s a translation of this report from Ecuador’s El Universo, published yesterday.
Monday 29 October 2012, 13h
Workers at ECSA Stage Sit-in Strike at the El Pangui Camp
Workers at the ECSA mining company have taken over company installations at the El Pangui sector camp, in the Zamora Chinchipe province.“This is a very big project at which we’re told that local people will be given employment priority, but there’s no training plan to guarantee their future jobs”, said Víctor Samaniego of the workers’ committee at the company.The workers are also demanding a pay rise. “We are still earning less than the country poverty line and they’ve always said that they were going to bring us out of extreme poverty; we’ve already asked for a pay rise on several occasions” said the leader, and added that the strike action started on Sunday.“We are waiting. We’ve sent a document to executives asking them to come and negotiate a win-win situation, but up to now we’ve had no answer. It seems there’s a lack of will and interest on their part. We’re waiting and later we’ll send a message to authorities and ministers who are connected to mining, said Samaniego.