1st reestructuring plan
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In 1971, Hunosa’s 1st Restructuring Plan was approved in order to concentrate mines, mechanise production and improve productivity and end results. Between 1967 and 1973, the number of mining companies had dropped from 41 to 16. Hunosa, with an average production of 3.9 million tons, provided between 78% and 81% of all Asturian coal. However, despite public subsidies rising from 150 million in 1967 to 5,422 in 1977, losses continued to accumulate: 390 million in 1967 compared with 4,450 in 1973. In this latter year, the company’s labour output (725 kilos per wage and year) was below the regional average (810), absenteeism affecting 22% of the workforce each year. When the plan was reviewed in 1973, the company itself indicated that it was “absolutely impossible for Hunosa to obtain balanced results and even to stabilise its losses”. The first international oil crisis (1973) led to a momentary respite in the critical coal mining situation, the importance of having power sources that limit dependence on imported crude oil being emphasised. During this time, Hunosa improved the washeries of Modesta (Langreo) and Batán (Mieres) and speeded up mechanisation, as well as tackling the first open cast mines and the diversification projects into the timber (Norfor), mining equipment (Sodema), open cast mining (Domi), heat generating and carbo-chemical sectors. |
