The Antonio Guiteras sugar mill, located in the town of Delicias, in the municipality of Puerto Padre, entered the current harvest on January 20, with a commitment to produce 39,387 tons.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Noel Álvarez Batista, a young welder, feels important -no, very important- "because I am helping the Revolution, creating conditions to get more sugar out of the canes and thus contributing to the country's efforts to save the agro-sugar sector." He told me in the areas of the tipper and mill, where I met him during the most arduous days of the repair of the “Antonio Guiteras Colossus.”
With this conviction, he gave the maximum of his efforts in the rehabilitation of the enormous drums that receive the raw material in the first part of the production process, "what we do, he said, allows us to squeeze a little more out of the canes, get the maximum of guarapo out of them and, therefore, give them a better use when they arrive at the plant. We have to leave them dry so that they perform as well as possible.”
And that is the purpose that motivates Noel and his colleagues in the battle to increase industrial efficiency, "because the recovery of these masses has a great impact on the milling result and saves foreign currency for the country, in times when money is scarce and prices are rising, much more so for a blockaded country like Cuba."
On the day we spoke to him and his colleagues, 16 of the 18 such means integrated into the system had passed through his hands, but they know the value of their task, "the work is truly exhausting", Noel commented, and he assured that he has never thought of changing center or profession, "in this mill, I feel at ease. I get on well with everyone. We are a big family."
How do you repair a drum?
"In the repair, we use different types of electrodes, for example, 7018, 7013, 807, and 670, and with them, we correct all the wear, even the smallest details that create unevenness as a result of constant use in the production process."
He explained that the mechanic, assistant, and rigger also interact in this mission, and "each one plays a decisive role in guaranteeing the quality of the final work. In this way, the masses regain vitality and extend their useful life," he emphasized.
The youth and experience accumulated in his 39 years of life support his values, distinguished by that love of work that he shares with a brother in areas of the sugar mill, and that drives him every morning to the family separation for long and exhausting days.
"I was a worker at ZETI (Industrial Technical Services Company, part of the AZCUBA group), and six years ago I came to the head office. I became a welder; I like what I do and I feel fulfilled. The salary is good, but to earn it, you have to work hard," he said in his farewell speech and expressed his certainty that in this factory, young people can find opportunities for personal and professional fulfillment.
Without showing exhaustion, Noel carries the strategic weight of sugar and the masses in his conscience, which makes him a responsible, productive, and hard-working worker.
