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All of the suddenly  we have the expected distinctive TC Mariel contest on the last Friday of November the long-awaited Marathon Race for Life, which in its fourth edition invited once again to share the steps that lead to a common goal.

  During the almost three kilometers defined for the development of the event, camaraderie and solidarity prevailed in a healthy competition that reminds us, precisely in the month in which we celebrate the National Day of Safety and Health at Work, the relevance of creating healthy habits for our physical and mental well-being.

Mariel Container Terminal (TC Mariel) has achieved a new milestone reaching the two million TEUs handled since its inauguration 27^th January, 2014, dedicating the accomplishment to health workers worldwide, especially the Cuban doctors and medical personnel fighting against Covid-19 in the country and around the world.

The M.V. Julius, from the shipping line Melfi Marine Corp, brought the container that would become the two millionth TEU handled by the Terminal. This vessel operates on a regular service between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

In the recent months, TC Mariel, being a safe and reliable operator, has reinforced a series of hygienic-sanitary measures which, alongside the responsible attitude of each employee, keep the operational capacity of the terminal at 100%, providing essential services for the continuity of the country’s supply chain.

The 2 million TEU milestone is part of the contribution made by TC Mariel in the modernization and economic development project of Cuba, as a key link of Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM).

The ZEDM was inaugurated in November 2013 and provides a first-class production and logistics platform, which is facilitating a higher level of national production while reducing import costs, boosting growth, creating jobs and facilitating foreign direct investment.

TC Mariel’s modern infrastructure and equipment, qualified personnel, advanced technology and its access channel for Panamax ships (which is in a dredging process to receive Neo-Panamax ships), has positioned the terminal as a strategic logistics hub with great potential within the region.

About the company:

TC Mariel offers berthing in protected waters and cargo operations in a 702 meters long berth, with 4 Super Post-Panamax dock cranes. The terminal has an annual capacity of 800,000 TEUs. The volume handled in 2019 amounted 322,000 TEUs.

Within few years we aim/planned to become our Terminal into a transshipment hub, from the present we are building the future. We are a global company, and the quality of the service provided in a certain extent is derived from the actions that the instructors undertake with the personnel. The world culture of a company is formed from the base, said José Leonardo Sosa Barrios, deputy director of the Mariel Container Terminal, during the third Methodological Concentrate of the Training Center, in which more than twenty instructors were met.  

After sharing essential ideas regarding to the fulfillment of the activities in the Year of Instruction 2018-2019, the main results and the deficiencies in the educational teaching process, the improvement actions and projections for the current period, the participants discussed topics of common interest.

Under the policy that the personal improvement is essential, they agreed that the workers must acquire the necessary skills, according to the profile in training, and gradually move through the career plan, taking into account their interest and those of the entity.

On the other hand, they highlighted the importance of promoting the identification of the young personnel to integrate the center´s cloister, and they insisted that the candidates must be integral in the management of the equipment, and also the training itself. However, they recognized that is not an easy condition to achieve and that the space must be found, so that from time to time the workers can change their position, making an effort of not losing their acquired skills.

In that sense, the Instructors are the first to be an example, as part of the key leading role. The Instructor is a leader and he runs the teaching-educational process, without forgetting how much the teamwork provides, they commented.

During the exchange, the work undertaken by Pablo E. Prieto Ordaz, deputy director of the Training Center, was recognized.

Near the celebration of the third anniversary of the setting up of the Training Center, a series of undertaken actions in the last period strengthen its work and contribute to the fulfilment of the strategy of training and the development of the human capital of the company.

With a total of seven graduates -100 percent of the workers enrolled -The Tally-clerks –Inspectors  was successfully completed. In addition, four Tally-clerks updated this specialty. Yosvany Pérez Torres was the most comprehensive student.

‘’ The results achieved show the fulfillment of the objectives of the program. The students also the students showed a high interest and a spirit of sacrifice, using their resting time (both day and night) to carry out the trainings. It is worthy to stand out the active and responsible participation of the instructors: Omar Guanes Robaina, Lázaro Jesús Martínez Silverio and Tainiel Reyes Martínez´´ , stated Pablo E. Prieto Ordaz, deputy director of the mentioned Center.    

On the other hand, among the different programs stand out: the elaboration and discussion in the methodological commissions of the Ganglero Program, Brigade and Stowage Supervisor, Crane Tadano Operator and Telescopic Handle Operator P38.13EE Merlo, among other elements taking into account, stand out the commanding of the Corresponding Technical English.

Others tasks undertaken was the renewal of the Collaboration Agreement of the Training Center with the Office of Procedures of the Ministry of the Interior, of the Artemisa province, in the specialty of the Driving License. In this way, its scope was extended for doing its conducting practical exams to other categories, both in the port environment as well as in Mariel town. 

Also, the Driving Course for the operators, operators of Land Lifting Means, technicians and specialists sponsored by the Driving School and Road Education. From an enrollment of 19 workers, the totality succeed.

Consolidating their training as industrial engineers, for a month we could count with the contribution of three college students who  developed topics of interest for the company, concerning to the Operation Management, under the tutelage of Claudia Valdés Ávalo, specialist in Operational Process Improvement, and besides with the support of the staff of the area. 

Ariel Rodríguez Méndez and Ernesto Villaverde Guzmán –who recently completed the 4^{th year} of their career, at José Antonio Echeverría Tecnological University of Havana and for the second time they are carrying out their pre professional internships in our port enclave- they focused on the Determination of the improvement opportunities of the loading and unloading vessel process, following up this research topic; as familiarization. Laís Alfonso Carballido, that will begin the third year in the university of Pinar del Río ´´Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca´´ next September, focused on the analysis of the current yard planning strategies and the determination of new improvement opportunities.

With the discussion of these issues, which must be approached in another time as part of the corresponding completion of the studies exercises, the period of work practice was concluded satisfactorily.

In the recent days, several expectations have generated the beginning of the Tally-clerks- Inspectors Course, the first of its kind organized and developed by the Training Center of Mariel Container Terminal. Its preparation has been essential in the results that are seen.

´´ We designed the program based on the Procedures of the Center and those of Operations. Taking into account the different processes that have to with the tally-clerk. Also, we held several meetings with specialists, experts and managers from the area as such, to discuss and to systemize the knowledge, criteria and experiences´´, says Mario Morales Lima, teaching secretary of the Training Center.     

´´ In the preparation of the program and the organization of the Study Material Base, Pablo Eugenio Prieto and Claudia Váldes, played a decisive role, as well as the tally-clerks Omar Guanes, Tainiel Reyes and Lázaro Jesús Martínez, who became instructors in this occasion´´, he says.

After the launched announcement, 10 workers of the company joined the course, that began on July 8^th and that it is planned to conclude on August 9^th with thefinal exam, that will have a theoretical and a practical part.

During 5 weeks the trainees will ´´ approach to the basic elements of the functions and responsibilities of the tally -clerk, taking into account the fulfillment of the efficiency Indicators of the operational processes and satisfaction of the client´s needs. They will also learn about the main aspects of the interpersonal communication that allow the solution of conflicts, and elements of the English language to use as part of the technical vocabulary inherent to its work site´´.

 ´´They will delve into the International ship and the Port Facilities Security   (ISPS), and also into the Health Safety Security Environment. It will be very important the mastery of the operations procedures manual, and the development of the skills for the fulfillment of the corresponding   functions… this preparation will give a professional level to the person that is in charge of such activity, and will bring future advantages to the company´´, he adds.

It covers a total of 196 hours: 28 theoretical and 168 of practice. The team in charge of the training process is made up of by 14 instructors, 6 of them undertakes this responsibility for the first time.

Once the process is completed, ´´ they will be summoned to fill the vacancies, taking into account the demands of the company. Nevertheless, the Operations Department could have this certificated workforce, according to the needs and strategies of the area´´, clarified Morales.

During the current year, this is the second course carried out for the preparation of the staff at TC Mariel, aimed to contribute to the development of the professionalization of the port specialties.

In its third edition, the ´´En Tu Piel´´ campaign brought together more than thirty specialists and executives from different areas of the company.

To understand not only how certain tasks are carry out, but also to put ourselves in the place of our colleagues in the fulfillment of them, to contribute from each experience to a better result, to share the same desires for doing a common place, and be part of the collective construction, these are premises that we cannot let out of sight and that during the development of each edition of the ´´En Tu Piel´´ campaign, they provide new guidelines to guide the work.

Precisely, the change of roles encourages other views of the processes, which could contribute from a different perspective to find a solution to certain issues that concern us, and that could give us improvement opportunities. This was confirmed by those who on this occasion were the protagonists of the campaign, and during a day develop activities beyond the usual ones, putting themselves in ´´la piel´´ of their colleagues.

According to Yeileen Fiallo Greenup, Manager A in Communication and Marketing, responsible of the execution of the campaign, ´´compared to previous occasions, a greater degree of organization, control and involvement of the participants in the task was appreciated, with precise objectives to be evaluated… Many were the criteria expressed by the actors, fully responding to the questions oriented to the confirmation of the summary report, as well as other judgments that they wanted to highlight to improve the different processes in which they were participants.´´

The aim of this proposal is to ´´improve the management and achieve a greater productivity, taking into account the testimonies of managers and specialists, who focused their attention on the possible failures that are in the processes – that prevent to a greater or lesser extent the correct performance of the activities-, and then, through their experiences and knowledge arise the opportunities of improvements´´, said Fiallo. The results obtained are presented to the company´s board of directors, and the actions to be taken are determined to follow up the interest issues identified.´´

´´The initiative of this campaign is very positive, not only because they let us know about our co-workers: we live with personnel from different areas, but due to our dynamic we don’t have too much space to have a break and deepen in its reality, in the efforts they make to provide us with a certain service, that sometimes, due to ignorance we criticize or undervalue. I think we should make this initiative more extensive, within what is logical and permissible, ´´said one of the participants…Surely, there will be many other moments to share, learn, and find solutions, ´´en tu piel´´.

“For an ethical, professional and committed social communication”, from June 25 to 27, about 800 delegates from all over the country came together in the 6th. International Festival of Social Communication, held at the Palace of Conventions in Havana.

The event, annually sponsored by the Cuban Association of Social Communicators (ACCS), on this occasion coincided with the 28th anniversary of said organization, and was attended by three representatives of our company: two of them belonging to the Communication Area and one to the Technical Services division, who for personal interest signed up for the event.

13 conferences on various subjets related to this field occupied the meeting, with speakers from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain and Cuba, showing how efforts are combined between prestigious academics to contribute to international communication studies.

Among the key aspects that motivated the dialogue, highlighted the issues related to the challenges of communication professionals in a scenario in which a constant updating of knowledge becomes necessary. Likewise, social communication was approached as a strategic resource of The State, and emphasis was placed on the treatment of internal communication and its management within organizations.

As a prelude to the closing of the Festival, it was recognized with the Awards “Espacios”- most awarded by the ACCS – to institutions and personalities that stand out for good practices in communication processes.

By the Communication Area

TC Mariel is making a great effort to strengthen its ties with the university, and for this TC Mariel provides to the high- level centers of Artemisia, Havana and Pinar del Río, the participation of the students in carrying out their occupational practices and diploma works that approach topics of the bank of problems of our entity.

As part of the exercises of completion of the current school course, four university students (Arlet Martínez y Anette Espalter, from social communication; Sandra Massiel Peña, from Industrial Engineering;  Dairon Peñate, from Mechanical  Engineering), undertook  during several months a joint work with professionals on the center. In this sense, we appreciate the collaboration in advising of the following departments: Human Resources, Management Integrated System and Technical Services, that supported them in the development of their thesis of degree. 

As a result of this, our center now has materials that allow the strengthening of the work, based on the conception of an Internal Communication Strategy, and a Proposal of guidelines for Communication Management of the crisis that may occur in the loading and unloading process. Also, the management of the occupational risks was analyzed, and the redesign of the ventilation in the engine-generator room of the RTG crane was undertaken. At the time of writing this information, three students had defended their thesis obtaining 5 points.

In this moment, we also have four inters from the Universities of Artemisa, Pinar del Rio and la Cujaje; they are Rocío Quintero (Accounting and Finance), Claudia Vidal (Economics), and Ernesto Villaverde and Ariel Rodríguez, (both from Industrial Engineering, who are part of AUSA-Cujae Teachig Unit Project ). This the second time we have these students at TC Mariel. At the same time, we have in our terminal seven students from the Professional Technical Education that are carrying out their pre-professional practices, who are students from the specialties of  Maintenance and Reparation of the Means of Transport, Electrical installations, Transport Operation, Refrigeration Mechanic, Automotive Mechanics and Economics, in the Polytechnic Institutes: Juan Manuel Castiñeiras and Mártires de Guanajay.

By the Communication Area

With the objective of promoting the preparedness for possible disasters. The Meteor Popular Exercise 2019 was developed, taking into account the need of reducing vulnerabilities prior to the beginning of the cyclonic season.

According to Luis Álvarez Soto, specialist in Security and Protection who attend Defense in the company, the day began with a training to the guard operation of the Coordination and Control center, in the application of notices to the Command and Support groups of the Terminal.

 Among the practical activities carry out to mitigate vulnerabilities and the reduction of risks in the different areas, they stand out ´´the cleaning of the drainage network and the register of the river network, the protection of the risk areas, the fixing of the equipment that operates outdoor, and the extraction of containers to depots of the national economy´ ´he specified.

At the same time, ´´the Command Group point out the measures in the preparation and response stages, included in the Disaster Reduction Plan, based on the update of the risk assessment and its economic impact´´.

Also, a practical lashing exercise of container in stowage took place in the yard, the evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures taken for the sealing of the underground conduits and the electrical joints, and the determination of others based on the prevention and preparation of the staff. Also, the emergency generator sets were checked and verified.