Immersed in the production of school notebooks ahead of the start of the school year in September, the workers of the Gráfica Las Tunas base business unit (UEB), affiliated with the National Newspaper Company, celebrate their Day on August 2nd.

The interior courtyards of their headquarters, on Carlos J. Finlay Avenue, host the celebration of this anniversary, which pays tribute to Alfredo López Arencibia, a union leader in the sector and a leading figure in the Cuban labor movement in the 1920s, on the occasion of his 131st birthday.

In the central workshop, Gisela Rodríguez Ávalo, a group leader, encourages and motivates her colleagues, who are aware of their commitment to the general education system. “We are overcoming numerous obstacles to deliver many of the notebooks that Cuban students will use,” says this passionate and experienced worker.

Gisela explains that they have organized two groups, each with six members, who work alternate days, producing approximately 5,200 notebooks per shift. Now, the work is more intense due to the approaching 2025-2026 school year, but there is enough experience, will, and commitment to achieve the goal.

CONSTANCY REIGNS

Joaquín Fonseca Benítez, factory manager, praises the staff's tenacity and the support of innovators and rationalizers, “who keep the veteran Will Alpha machine, which forms the notebooks, running smoothly.”

Joaquín adds that they haven't received replacement parts for more than five years, but "every time it fails, they are there with their ingenuity and creative spirit, and restore it to useful life. You see, it's there, just like the workers, giving their contribution as if it were brand new."

He explains that the factory's primary objective is the production of school notebooks for shipment to the provinces of Pinar del Río, Havana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Las Tunas.

He explains that the annual plan amounts to four million units, and by the end of July, they had produced almost two million. "There is a delay of about 250,000 notebooks; we have been affected by the entry of essential raw materials: paper, which is imported, and cardboard. Also, to some extent, due to the lack of fuel for its transportation."

“But that doesn't compromise the allocations to the schools in the different territories.” Joaquín bases his confidence on the existence of resources that guarantee three months of uninterrupted work, and the efficient operation of the “Will Alpha,” which has the potential to produce 450,000 notebooks per month.

MORE THAN NOTEBOOKS

There is a sales point at the entity's headquarters with products made with scraps and other remnants from the main production lines. Notebooks, pads, paper, birthday boxes, and geometric shapes, among other popular items, contribute to another source of income.

Marisol, the director, praises the effort of all workers and assures that the tribute to Alfredo López Arencibia goes beyond his birthday anniversary and is an incentive for their daily work. "We have reasons to celebrate, and we do so without renouncing our productive commitments."