WESTERN BUREAU:

Despite the impending 12-month closure of the Alpart Bauxite Alumina Plant at Nain in St Elizabeth, which will put 900 staff members out of work, some of its workers appear unperturbed.

When The Gleaner visited the company yesterday, a 42-year-old maintenance worker at the company who resides in Junction said he was mindful, but not fearful of what lay ahead, as he was well prepared.

"I am going to cope," he said, smiling. "It is because of globalisation; not anything political. I am also a farmer. I have two and a half acres of land planted in citrus. I have only one daughter and I will be able to support her because I work and save my money," he said.

'I can cope'

Another worker from the clarification department, the section responsible for processing alumina, who gave his name as Mr B said:

"My responsibility is not big, so I can cope to an extent. I will search out for some opportunities. The Chinese say during the time of crisis, there are opportunities and opportunities exist," he stressed.

When The Gleaner spoke to Lucy Brooks, a janitorial worker of New Building in Nain, shortly after she exited the gates of the plant in the afternoon to head home, she did not appear worried. The mother of two teenagers, a 13 and a 15-year-old, said she had been contracted to the company for the last six years,

"I am not happy with the closure, but I am not worried now. Maybe three months after the closure, I might be. I might go into farming if anything," Brooks said.

Nobody to spend

On the reverse side, residents not directly employed to Alpart expressed worry that the economic activity in the Nain community could stagnate. One such person is Ionie Holness, who has been operating a grocery shop and bar along the Nain main road for the last 18 years.

"The business places won't have anybody to spend with them," she said, alluding to the support Alpart workers provide the community.

"It is almost midday now and I don't move to sell anything from morning; imagine when the plant close. I don't know what is going to happen to the workers because no matter how much money Alpart gives them, it will finish one day," she said.

Holness said her greatest fear, though, was that the entire Nain community which relies on Alpart's water system could face severe water shortages should a lock-off of the company's water supply accompany its closure.

The bauxite company, by way of its several underground wells, provides the entire community of Nain and other adjoining areas with free potable water supply, as there are no commercial water lines in the community.

However, Lance Neita, public-relations officer of Alpart, said farmers and the rest of the community have nothing to fear.

"They can relax. They can rest assured that the 300,000 gallons of water per day will still be available to the community. We just had a meeting about it today (yesterday). We will not lock it off. It is one of those community things that Alpart will still continue to do," he said.

claudia.gardner@gleanerjm.com