Workers discuss 2009 economic plan
Campaign News | Friday, 12 December 2008
Increasing production and productivity levels, cutting costs and raising efficiency are the key points being discussed in preparations for the 2009 budget and economic plan. Beginning in November and continuing throughout December, meetings are being held at workplaces throughout the country giving workers a chance to participate.
Speaking at a meeting Wednesday of labor leaders from the country's 19 national unions, Salvador Valdes Mesa, general secretary of the Cuban Workers Federation (CTC) noted exceptional circumstances in a country that suffered US $9.6 billion in losses from three hurricanes this year combined with the impact of the world financial crisis.
Valdes spoke about the importance of readjusting plans and budgets to changes in the economy.
Luis Manuel Castanedo, member of the CTC National Secretariat, gave details on the discussion process. By December, more than 38,000 workplace assemblies have been held, 46 percent of those planned with 1.5 million workers participating.
Castanedo said that while advances are visible in its organization, there are still lingering problems including the need to make the meetings more participative and improve20the quality of the reports presented for analysis.
