“Workers in Struggle” Marched Against Maduro’s Austerity

By Laclase.info

Caracas, July 3rd of 2019

Over a hundred workers mobilized in downtown Caracas against Maduro government’s anti-worker policies. Called for by “Workers in Struggle”, the mobilization departed from the Miranda plaza, took the Baralt Avenue, and marched to the building of the Vice-Presidency in the Carmelitas corner.

“Workers in Struggle” is a unitary organization in which several unions participate, such as SinatraUCV (union of workers of the Central University of Venezuela), Sirtrasalud of the Capital District (health workers in Caracas), the worker’s union of Fogade (an institute of the Ministry of Finance), the general secretariat for the FUPTV (oil workers’ union) along with the C-CURA tendency, the Catholic Workers’ Youth and political organizations such as Marea Socialista, Liga de Trabajadores por el Socialismo, Lucha de Clases, Izquierda Revolucionaria and Partido Socialismo y Libertad.

The action was carried out in conjunction with the Sindical Coalition headed by trade union leader Carlos Salazar, which brought an important contingent of teachers.

To the chant of “Mr. President, you are invited to live with our monthly wage”, the mobilization counted with the participation of health workers, workers from the Caracas Metro, university employees and workers, and workers from public and state entities.

The rally had as its main aim to denounce the government’s application of an austerity package, putting on the shoulders of the people the crisis created by the State and the capitalists.

Within that frame, specially repudiated was the Memorandum 2792, which in practice liquidates collective bargaining agreements and allows the government to interfere in negotiations between bosses and workers, facilitating the super exploitation of workers by private capitalists.

Arriving to the Carmelitas corner, the rally coincided with a large group of retired workers, who every Wednesday concentrate in La Moneda plaza and demonstrate against their pauperization in front of the Vice-Presidency. The demonstrators chanted “People, hear, this is your struggle too” and called the retired workers to join the protest.

For over two hours, the concentration of active and retired workers held up in the Carmelitas corner in front of the Central Bank of Venezuela. Strangely enough, the police and the National Guard allowed the rally forth. What many of those present commented is that after the murder of the Captain Acosta Arevalo (accused of conspiracy) and the blinding of a Tachira youth in a protest over domestic gas, the government has been weakened and preferred not to repress a protest happening only 3 blocks away from the Miraflores presidential palace.

Those gathered announced that they would remain in the streets, demanding the abolition of Memorandum 2792 and confronting the government’s austerity measures.