The Unitary Federation of Workers of the Mines, Metallurgy, Energy, Chemistry, Fuels and Related Services (Futrametal) asked President Luis Abinader to authorize the environmental impact studies of the Romero project, to determine the feasibility of this mining activity in San Juan de la Maguana.
The organization also demanded this Thursday from the President of the Nation the creation of the “National Training School of the Dominican Mining Workforce”, which trains and provides skilled labor to this sector in its sustainable operations and reduces dependency expensive foreign staff.
These considerations were expressed in a press conference offered at the headquarters of the National Trade Union Confederation (CNUS), led by Rafael (Pepe) Abreu, president of that entity; Ariel Acevedo, general secretary of Futrametal; Reynaldo Hernández, Secretary General of the Barrick Pueblo Viejo Union and Ruben Orlando García, Secretary General of the Workers Union of the Dominican Mining Corporation (Cormidom).
The general secretary of Futrametal, Ariel Acevedo, called on the organizations and personalities of San Juan de la Maguana who oppose the mining project to wait for the results of the environmental impact studies, and “if they show that it is not feasible, that the mine is not carried out and it is over, but we cannot put the oxen in front of the cart”.
He stated that the wages of mining workers are higher than those of other industries, which guarantees them better purchasing power and translates into families with better indicators of economic and social development.
The leader specified that “we are clear in the federation that this project will create more than three thousand new jobs that many of the citizens of San Juan de la Maguana need to improve their living conditions and that of their loved ones.”
Regarding the school to specialize the mining workforce, Acevedo indicated that it is necessary for President Abinader to support its creation because the country lacks a teaching center of this type, and that it can be completed by the National Institute of Professional Technical Training ( Infotep).