BNamericas reported that workers at Venezuelan state aluminum reducer Alcasa are once again making contact with private investors to help return operations to normal.

Mr Robert Donatti Sintralcasa union's science and technology representative said that "We're open to receiving offers and want to integrate companies that have worked with us in the rolling and smelting areas into the talks."

Recently, Mr Henry Arias director of labor relations said that the company was looking for investors to help return plant operations to normal and that many of the company's 89 customers had expressed interest in providing financial support.

Mr Donatti said that "We're looking for other options. Several international companies interested in investing in Alcasa have approached us but since the national government has a commitment with the Chinese that possibility was taken off the table."

He said that now, since Chinese owned Chinalco's recovery plan for Alcasa turned out not to be viable workers have resumed the search for investors. The proposal Chinalco is drawing up in terms of its economic and technological structure does meet the technical requirements for Alcasa to become fully operational.

Mr Donatti said that Chinalco is offering very little of its own technology and in general is offering to combine production with companies such as Rio Tinto Alcan and Reynolds. The problem is that the government does not want to give the transnational a chance but they have the best technology in the world.

He said that nevertheless, we're looking at all of the offers and technical bids we receive and trying to select what is most useful for us. In July, Alcasa workers approved a document called the emergency proposal that established the urgency of seeking resources from public and private companies. The move came after Alcasa declared an operational and financial emergency in April due to the lack of resources to continue operating.

(Sourced from Business News Americas)