The thinking here is that a major efficiency drive in Cuban state enterprises must mean a surrender to the logic of private corporations. Never mind that hundreds of thousands were laid off from Cuba's sugar industry, almost two decades ago, when the sugar-for-oil agreement with the Soviet bloc collapsed. In its much worse economic crisis of the 1990s, Cuba maintained its system of social guarantees, allowing foreign investment through joint ventures and a small private business sector.
On the current restructuring, if the BBC and others had read further in the 13 September CTC statement, they would have seen that the "alternative employment" seen for the laid off workers comprises "land renting and usufruct leases, cooperatives and small business." Big corporations don't get a mention; where they exist in Cuba they are under joint ventures where the state owns land and buildings and hires all the labour. Nevertheless, work bonuses are being revised in a wider range of sectors.
The CTC says state employment is to be maintained in some sectors of agriculture, in construction, teaching and industrial work. Furthermore, there is an ongoing diversification of state industry into petroleum (Cuba is developing its own reserves and is set to become an oil exporter), construction (including for expanded tourism), biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, tourism and other areas.
Change is a constant in Cuba, as one might logically expect of a self-described "revolutionary" society. However, others portray this society as a monolithic state.
Does any of this matter to western audiences, with their short attention spans, and modernist tendencies to see the world through their own self-image? Outside commentators have been characterising Cuban socialism according to their cultural prejudices for half a century now, and no doubt will continue to do so. Those who look closer might understand a bit more.
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