Cuba’s Student Work Brigades Axed

HAVANA TIMES, July 25 — The Cuban government has decided to discontinue the student brigades that carried out work during vacations, do to their not being cost effective.

The brigades began back in 1977 and an “objective analysis” found it not economically viable to maintain such mobilizations as Cuba tightens its belt to deal with a severe crisis, reported cubadebate.cu.

The study revealed that the recent campaigns had a bottom line of more expenditure than productive benefit at a time when Cuba is involved in economic reforms that demand severe cuts in State spending.  It also noted that the demand for the student brigades was showing a declining tendency.