Old traditions live on at Cuban cigar factory

[Subcomandante Marcos.]

http://vodpod.com/watch/2895242-bbc-news-old-traditions-live-on-at-cuban-cigar-factory

In cuban cigar factories, they have a speaker, who reads the cubvan newspaper, Granma, to them cover to cover.

The workers can select any literature they want to be readf to them

Among the most popular are

Romeo Y Julieta, who they named a cigar after

the count of Monte Cristo, who again, they enjoyed so much, they named the famous cigar after.

The worlers favourates also include the divinci code.

This is awesome, i think it is really good to have the mental stimulation for people who are doing monotonous jobs, my old man worked in a factory, he said it was mind numbing.

was dissapointed about the lack of virgins thighs though :(

[Raúl Duke]

That's nice but I would also like to see complete workplace democracy besides choosing what story be read to you that day.

[Subcomandante Marcos.]

me too, i am just saying how, my father remarked it was a brilliant idea, as working a monotomous job can be unsavoury to persons mental health, in terms of becoming mind numbed after twenty years of it.

[Raúl Duke]

Sure, it's better than when I was working at a call center (mind-numbing work, and you're not even making something tangible) but we are talking about a self-described socialist country and I expect more.

[pranabjyoti]

In addition, I want to see it fully automated but still no reduction in the number of workers. No abolition of a single job but automation at its highest level.

[bricolage]

In addition, I want to see it fully automated but still no reduction in the number of workers. No abolition of a single job but automation at its highest level.

Why?
If I was listening to a story I'd much rather hear it from an actual person than a machine.

[maskerade]

Why?
If I was listening to a story I'd much rather hear it from an actual person than a machine.

Yea, I agree. I always saw capitalist "efficiency" pretty much synonomous with wage cuts/layoffs

[RED DAVE]

The tradition is very old and goes back to the 19th Century. Samuel Gompers, the first head of the AFL, was a cigar-maker-reader. Many of the early leaders of the cigar-makers union, which was very militant and had many socialists in it, were readers.

Personal remembrance: When I was a member of the Young Peoples Socialist League in the early 60s, there was an older comrade who used to do volunteer work in the office, name of Jack Mulhado. Jack had almost won the presidency of the Cigar Makers Union from Gompers around 1903. He had more strength in the US, but Gompers had a better organization in Cuba.

RED DAVE

[pranabjyoti]

Why?
If I was listening to a story I'd much rather hear it from an actual person than a machine.
Fully automated doesn't mean you have to hear a story from a machine. Fully automation means highest level of productivity from a worker.
In a bourgeoisie-imperialist state, increase in productivity leads to wage cuts and lay offs. But, in a proper socialist society, automation leads to less working hours and higher actual wage and life standard for a worker.

[pranabjyoti]

Yea, I agree. I always saw capitalist "efficiency" pretty much synonomous with wage cuts/layoffs
Problem with people like you is that you can not look and think beyond capitalist economies. If so, then you can understand what I have said in my post above.

[bricolage]

Fully automated doesn't mean you have to hear a story from a machine. Fully automation means highest level of productivity from a worker.
In a bourgeoisie-imperialist state, increase in productivity leads to wage cuts and lay offs. But, in a proper socialist society, automation leads to less working hours and higher actual wage and life standard for a worker.

And how are you going to bring this automation about?

[Subcomandante Marcos.]

he isn't, he is going to say because we are from the first world, we don't get it, then,instead of joining in the revolution in his country, he is going to stay on the internet.

go join the Naxalites and stop wasting your time on revleft.

[pranabjyoti]

And how are you going to bring this automation about?
Well, in case of a worker controlled factory, the workers can answer that question better than me. But the basic principal should be like this. More automation = less working hour at same actual salary for workers. Recently Venezuela has reduced the daily working hours from 8 to 6. That's certainly a positive change favoring workers in my opinion.

[pranabjyoti]

he isn't, he is going to say because we are from the first world, we don't get it, then,instead of joining in the revolution in his country, he is going to stay on the internet.

go join the Naxalites and stop wasting your time on revleft.
This is a very important matter of discussion and every leftist in this world (INCLUDING NAXALITES) must be concerned about it.

[S.Artesian]

We might want to keep in mind that Cuban cigar exports have plummeted from a peak of 217 million cigars in 2006 to just 73 million in 2009. Cuba has cut the land used for tobacco cultivation, and the decline in export earnings has serious impacts on Cuba's ability to finance imports.

I don't know if there have been any layoffs in the cigar making industry, but Cuba is experiencing increased economic distress.

Recent market-oriented "reforms," including an end to rice rationing and the increased focus on exporting rice-- a critical component of the daily diet, are leading to some discontent.

[Robocommie]

We might want to keep in mind that Cuban cigar exports have plummeted from a peak of 217 million cigars in 2006 to just 73 million in 2009. Cuba has cut the land used for tobacco cultivation, and the decline in export earnings has serious impacts on Cuba's ability to finance imports.

Do you know why they cut the cultivation of tobacco? That'd seem like one of the last things you'd want to cut if you were hard up for foreign currency.

[S.Artesian]

Market forces. Exports of cigars have dropped precipitously. Article didn't say what the land was redirected to.

[S.Artesian]

Here's the recent article from the Financial Times:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/79390e96-7d6d-11df-a0f5-00144feabdc0.html

[Robocommie]

Hm, I suppose that makes some sense. This drop-off in demand perhaps is related to the global economic crisis. Less money for luxury items including Cuban cigars.