Oil workers go to strike in Venezuela oil fields

[denverbill]

Publicidad

Caracas, June 3 - USO, the United Workers Union, the union of the Venezuela oil workers, has voted to start a general strike in all the industrial installations of the state company ECOPETROL starting June 22nd, 2004. The strike came as a last resource in view of the submissive policies of the Chavez government to the United States and the IMF; its arrogance towards the workers and our country, which have resulted in the dangerous situation this Venezuelan company finds itself in.

For 17 months USO made efforts to reach an agreement to save ECOPETROL, and for the rights of its workers to be respected. However, the proposals for talks presented by the union were answered with repressive measures such as the taking over of the plants by the armed forces, and the refusal to let the union leaders into the plants; legal actions were started, union leaders and workers were fired and the government threatened to declare the strike illegal if it was started.

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http://boards2.melodysoft.com/app?ID=wwwmediavenezuela&msg=21523&nombre=Charles+Daffy

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OK, I am now very confused. Not long ago, didn't this same bunch of folks go on strike, basically to attempt to force Chavez to accept a referendum on his rule? Aren't these the same guys who are big supporters of privatizing the oil company and were mad at Chavez for canning the top executives of the company?

Seriously, this is way confusing. Somebody clue me in.

[Joanne98]

1. Yeah. Chavez is going to allow a vote. They're just trying to

drive his poll numbers down. He should have fired them all.

[denverbill]

3. What I don't get is this.

These 'workers' went on strike to bring down Chavez about a year ago, crippling the economy. My impression then was that they were controlled by the oligarchs in the oil companies who wanted to bring Chavez down in retaliation for him firing a bunch of oil company executives. It was those same oil execs who wanted to privatize the oil industry, wasn't it? And Chavez wanted to keep it nationalized.

Maybe I'm way off here.

[Imperialism Inc.]

16. An article on VE unions

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1183

[htuttle]

2. I am confused about this statement too, but one thing I know for sure...

It's going to make oil prices rise even higher.

[AP]

4. The unioin is run by right wingers, IIRC. They probably think chaos will

hurt Chavez in the recall election. If people are miserable they want change.

In CA, Wall St jacked down the bond rating which jacked up the interest payments the state had to make. It put budgets in chaos. It was one more thing voters blamed on Davis. Wall St lowered the ratings after Arnold got elected. And guess where they did that before? Chile. Before they killed Allende. They tried to mess with the economy to make him look bad.

[mom cat]

6. Now Bush will come out in support of the poor "downtrodden workers"

Just like he went to was in Afghanistan to liberate women.

[Vladimir]

7. What, liberate them of any choice?

You know, 'freedom without choice!' was once a joke slogan. Now its quickly becoming reality...

[AP]

8. to liberate them from their future and from hope.

[Aidoneus]

5. Of course

That economy is fixing itself just too fucking well, it has to be sabotaged again. :argh:

[madrchsod]

9. if i remember our

beloved kerry is on the "workers side"-win-win for the skull boys ,isn`t it?

[Imperialism Inc.]

10. I would wait until it gets picked up by some news agency,

It will be on VHeadline or VA or even Crisis at some point.

[Imperialism Inc.]

11. By the way , Chavez was supposed to speak at 5PM today.

But I haven't seen that yet either.

Has anyone else?

[Nevernose]

12. Could someone explain this to me slowly and clearly?

Maybe I'm not having such a bright day of it (but, then again, it seems like a lot of other DUers share in my confusion). Maybe my understanding of Venezualan politics isn't up to speed (I just recently read Palast's book, the first I'd ever really paid attention to it)...

I though Chavez was the anti-Wall Street, anti-IMF president? That this was the reason the right-wingers held a coup?

That the oil workers were largely right-wing as well, and that is why they went on strike last year (or the year before?)?

Then why is the oil workers union going on strike because Chavez isn't anti-IMF enough?

[Imperialism Inc.]

14. This is an unconfirmed report at this time.

In no other news source( opposition, government supporter, western or international).

My pure speculation.

In the past when things have gotten violent there, the media there reports it as coming from government supporters. Later it often turns out they were not being honest (which they have admitted in the case of the coup at least). It is kind of like our media here. Think run-up to Iraq where sometimes it would be a couple days before the real facts got out.

Now today there are reports of violence. Also of people calling the radio stations saying to resist the decision of the CNE. But that doesn't make a lot of sense. This decision in no way determines the fate of Chavez. The vote will be in early August. So why on Earth do those things? Not that it is impossible , just that it doesn't make a lot of sense.

So I think it may be likely that the opposition is trying to create disinformation, confusion and chaos. They did a lot worse the day of the coup.

Bottom line is just wait for at least some confirmation from somewhere.

[Vladimir]

15. You are not the only one confused

the more I reread that report, the more I smell bullshit. Either by the author, or more likely by the opposition. The idea that Chavez is 'privatizing' the national oil industry is a joke.

[NNN0LHI]

13. I thought it was management who went on strike before to hurt Chavez?

This sounds like the blue collar guys this time. I may have it all wrong?

Don

[Geo55]

17. Oil War

What ever is goin' on down there , one thing's fer sure...
They're screwin' with the world supply of jukie juice...
good thing Unca Dickie & Donnie are stretched thin in Iraq or Chavez would be hurtin' tommorrow.

[Imperialism Inc.]

18. OK ECOPETROL is a Colombian oil company

Not a Venezuelan one.

Thought this was sounding wierd. This is baloney.

It is very hard to keep all the abbreviations straight. I assumed this was just some name I had never heard used before.

Requesting to be locked unless someone has soemthing else.

[Vladimir]

19. Good solid work! n/t