Latinnews Archive
Latin American Economy & Business - 26 April 1985
Comibol's 'co-management' comes in for mixed reviews
The candidates with a chance in the forthcoming Bolivian elections have a poor opinion of the 'co-management' scheme struck between government and workers in 1983 for the running of the state-owned mining corporation, Comibol. Right-winger Hugo Banzer's running mate, Eudoro Galindo, has promised to closW down Comibol. Tongue-in-cheek, people close to the MNR-H's Victor Paz Estenssoro are proposing 'full worker management' -- including a cut-off of government funds to mop up Comibol deficits.
'Co-management' is actually a euphemism, as COB representatives on the board outnumber government nominees 7-6. The government's men were unable, last March, to prevent the board from organising a general strike and funding the occupation of La Paz by a 10,000-strong contingent of miners clamouring for President Siles' resignation. Moreover the company's tin production costs have risen to about US$9/lb while the world market is operating on a level of about US$5/lb.
The workers, however, insist that the experience is not the failure everyone is making it out to be. Victor Lopez, secretary-general of the miners' federation and head of the 'co-management' effort, says the workers' representation has been responsible for preventing the collapse of several of Comibol's 14 enterprises. Cirilo Jimenez, head of the Siglo XX union, says the deficiencies so far can be laid at the doors of the government. He claims miners are working as before, that is, that pit output is the same as in 1980 (the equivalent of 16,000 tonnes of tin annually). But, he adds, the system of transportation of the mined ore to the surface is plagued by technical faults and the mills above ground are able to process only 50% of what they receive. Thus the corporation can oniy look to an annual production target of about 10,000t.
Jimenez acuses the government of 'sabotage': he claims it does not provide the resources for the purchase of machinery and tools, and does not even feed its technicians.
One of the effects of the March strike was that the miners coaxed the government into authorising Comibol to use 30% of the hard currency earned through exports to cover the equipment deficit, improve supplies of foodstuffs to mining communities and finance prospection. Jimenez claims that gold prospecting in northeastern rivers could provide the resources needed to offset the losses of the altiplano basic metals operations.
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