-DATE- 19711221 -YEAR- 1971 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- CASTRO ADDRESSES CONSTRUCTION WORKERS PLENUM -PLACE- CUBA -SOURCE- HAVANA DOMESTIC TV SVC -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19711222 -TEXT- CASTRO ADDRESSES CONSTRUCTION WORKERS PLENUM Havana Domestic Television Service in Spanish 1800 GMT 21 Dec 71 F [Text] Maj Fidel Castro, party first secretary and prime minister of the revolutionary government, said yesterday in his closing remarks at the national plenary session of the workers of the construction materials industry that construction workers should care for, give good maintenance to, and make good use of the country's equipment and technical devices. In the plenum, Fidel stressed the need for strictly observing measures governing all economic activities such as quality and cost controls. The prime minister stated that both alternatives were essential in the case of Cuba--a poor country seeking development. He harshly denounced waste and unrealistic attitudes toward equipment and in matters concerning production without economic controls. In his speech, Fidel reviewed the boom in agricultural, social, and industrial construction, as well as in waterworks and road construction during the years that the revolution has been in power. He indicated that in order to give proper response to rising needs, it was necessary to seek new organizational procedures that are more effective in construction work. As an example of new solutions, he referred to the method of organizing specialized brigade in industrial construction. As a good way to solve future problems, he said that some sectors and organizations--after an analysis of manpower requirements-- could use surplus personnel to organize industrial construction brigades, and in this manner solve their own problems. In outlining these suggestions, Fidel stressed that the formation of microbrigades had brought about the solution of the housing construction problem. In another part of his speech, Major Castro brought out the importance of the construction materials industry, pointing out that the rest of the sector's branches depend on that industry for supplying materials, which is why this is the key factor in all construction work. He also referred to unnecessary organizational elements which have to be revamped, and pointed out as a typical example of absurd procedures the method of centralizing concrete production and distributing it in concrete mixing trucks over great distances. He said that such a system increased the cost of concrete, that it was more sensible to have small mixing plants close to large construction sites requiring large quantities of concrete, and in this manner eliminate the hauling of concrete over great distances. He also objected to the excessive use of washed sand in construction work, stating that the increased demand for such material makes it necessary to use as much washed sand as regular sea sand depending on the type of construction. Fidel praised the microbrigades of Havana Province, particularly those working in Alamar. As proof of the progress made in construction work, he mentioned the great advances made in the construction of the Alamar housing project. On the other hand, Fidel reproved backwardness and delays in exploiting modern technology in our country, and criticized the unrealistic concepts of some projects which do not conform to economic realities of the country and, thus, are never completed. He also mentioned incorrect use of equipment which is built for specific purposes. He criticized the hasty impulses of those who covet control over the latest type of equipment and technical devices that have been produced in the world, likening them to people with millionaires' concepts and poor men's pocketbooks. He added that at times were are not conservative in preparing requests for manpower and materials. He recalled that Cuba requires 500,000 men to produce a 700 or 800 million dollar sugar harvest, while other countries require much less manpower as is the case with Chile which can earn 900 million dollars from the work of 30,000 copper miners. Fidel persisted in stressing the need for quality controls, stating that this factor, quality, affects all aspects of economic activity. He confirmed the probability of Cuba acquiring a concrete plant which, even though it is not automated, can produce 1.2 million metric tons per year with fewer than 500 workers. By comparison, he cited the present situation in which 2,000 workers are needed to achieve this output. In closing, Fidel expressed his confidence that the workers and production program of the construction materials industry will respond to the demands of that fundamental sector of the national economy. -END-