Nelsy Polo Gutiérrez will represent the sugar workers of this province and the country at the 22nd CTC Congress, scheduled for the middle of this year. She will be the direct voice of her 368 coworkers, all members of the union and organized into six sections.

Nelsy is the secretary general of the Union Bureau of the Derivatives Basic Business Unit, attached to the Antonio Guiteras Sugar Company in the municipality of Puerto Padre. “I will take the collective's feelings to Congress and the way they are defending the sector amidst the current challenges,” she says.

She states this resolutely and with the conviction that comes from her brilliant career, in which she has combined professional responsibilities and union activism. Her spirit does not falter in the face of difficulties that today seem insurmountable, and Nelsy continues to inspire and encourage others. Her serenity fosters enthusiasm and is captivating. followers.

The personal example and the effective representation of the workers she leads are the source of her power, and Nelsy has climbed the ranks of leadership and become a role model for how union leaders, committed now more than ever to the destiny of the nation, should be and act.

At the UEB (Basic Business Unit), she has the support of the administrative management, who understand the importance of the union and its proper functioning. With this added strength, Nelsy leads a movement that transcends the walls of the unit's buildings and has an impact on the Delicias community, where the center is located.

"Over all these years, we have supported the daycare center, the nursing home, and the home for children without parental care with renovation projects. We also make regular donations to the Maternal and Child Health Program and provide care to children with cancer, among other activities that benefit our neighbors," she says enthusiastically.

She adds that she will present these experiences at the Cuban Workers' Congress, "I will speak about our UEB's contribution to these institutions." Our natural environment, considering the importance of sharing these best practices, can greatly benefit the population.”

IN RETROSPECTIVE…

She attributes her conduct and the accolades she has received to her family: “From the cradle, as it should be, my parents instilled in me values and moral principles that have guided my personal and professional life,” she says, and consequently, she is an empowered woman committed to the future of the sugar industry in Las Tunas.

“I was born into a humble, peasant family in the Chaparra area, now the municipality of Jesús Menéndez, and I carry in my blood its idiosyncrasies, the feelings of solidarity, the vocation of service to others, and the love for one's neighbor that prevailed in the Cuban countryside.”

Her innate talent, the good family upbringing, and the opportunities that arrived for all the people on January 1, 1959, with the triumph of the Revolution, helped her to overcome different levels of education without setbacks, and she was able to aspire to and achieve the university degree she chose.

But, “I decided on a mid-level technical degree in Plant Health because I didn't want to move away from my parents and because I don't consider it a minor specialty in a region whose development is based primarily on agricultural activities,” she says without hesitation, adding: “There are many opportunities for fulfillment and for feeling useful.”

When she graduated, 40 years ago, she was placed in the sugar industry, and she remains in that fascinating world. “You fall in love with the work and even with the challenges involved in the production of sugar and its derivatives,” and she is not discouraged by the poor results of recent times, “I am confident in the recovery.” I know men and women determined to shape the future and who continue to defend their dreams.”

She has served the labor movement for many years, balancing these demanding roles with other responsibilities and family life, which “has been —and continues to be— a pillar of support in the challenge of juggling work and union activism.” “I have also had the help and committed participation of my coworkers.”

AWARDS FOR DEDICATION

Nelsy attended the 22nd CTC Congress and the National Conference of the Sugar Workers Union as a delegate and has received numerous recognitions, including tributes from the Central Organization of Cuban Workers (CTC in Spanish), the Sugar Workers Union, and other institutions that recognize her dedication and commitment in daily battles for a better world.

CONTEXT

Although alternatives for its final sessions are being considered due to the current situation in the country, “the 22nd CTC Congress is going ahead,” according to statements made to the newspaper Trabajadores by Osnay Miguel Colina Rodríguez, member of the Central Committee of the Party and president of the Organizing Committee for the event.