RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: For our Pr
Hi Frank,
I believe that explaining the local labour situation is not disclosing unreleased material facts, so here it is.
Mexican local labour is very cheap, even though we pay well above theminimum wage. Some of the locals in Uruachic have worked for us formany years. Some even have stock options (although I must admit thatthey do not really understand what they are). We even have two youngmen working who are the sons of other long term local employees. We havetrained some of them for various jobs and they do them very well. Forexample, we have a sampling team ("brigada de muestreo") that I wouldmatch against any canadian miners or geologists.
You are right that hiring Canadians is not really feasible compared tothe locals. Canadians would need airfare, accommodations, food and tentimes the pay. Plus they do not speak the language and would likely getMontezuma's revenge. The locals live at home, eat at home, don't needairfare, speak spanish very well and don't get sick on Mexican food.
On the Nopalera property itself, there are several small houses andlocal men who want work. We need some of them for unskilled labour toclean out workings, fix roads, etc., but there are more of them than weneed. Solution: we use them all - on shifts. That way they all getsomething. They know we are not a big company like Penoles. They knowwe treat the locals well. I have proven myself to them over many years.They know me, I know them.
Penoles, Fresnillo, Agnico have all had trucks stolen and their peopleharassed. We have not. Why? Because our trucks are older than thebanditio's trucks and the men inside are trucks are locals, who areprobably related to the bad guys. Why would they hurt their own extendedfamily members?
I started going to Mexico in the 60's and 70's. I lived and workedthere and got married there to a local girl in the 80's. I have beenthe president of a Mexican company since 1992. I know the people betterthan most and use my experience for the betterment of GNG.
Thanks for your support Frank.
Paul