No to the threat of dismissal against Jose Bodas!

By C-CURA (Autonomous, Revolutionary, Unitary Class Tendency)

Through social networks and other means, has circulated the rumour of a probable dismissal of Jose Bodas from PDVSA. Bodas is a refinery worker at Puerto La Cruz, in the state of Anzoategui, with 31 years of service in our main industry, plant operator, and general secretary of the Unitary Federation of Oil Workers (FUTPV), elected by the oil workers, in the Autonomous, Revolutionary, Unitary Class Tendency slate.

Bodas, together with the workers of the Puerto la Cruz refinery, was the architect in the confrontation to the oil strike-sabotage in 2002, orchestrated by the meritocracy of PDVSA, linked to the bosses’ parties and to the U.S. imperialism. These actions made it possible for the Puerto La Cruz refinery not to stop during the two months of the lock out-sabotage.

Two weeks ago, there was a direct threat against Comrade Jose Bodas, with the argument that he did not have his union permit up to date, but the written permits were sent to the management. However, in recent days, rumours of his dismissal have become more and more insistent.

Jose Bodas is a leader of the Autonomous, Revolutionary, Unitary Class Tendency, which has taken the lead in defending the rights of oil workers, demanding decent wages, fighting for the fulfilment of the collective contract, against the 9030 Equilibrium Factor, defending the rights of workers on the major payroll, and all workers in the oil industry.

Along with many combative and class workers in our main industry, Bodas has been at the forefront denouncing the operative disaster in which PDVSA finds itself. Likewise, he denounced the bureaucratic leadership of the Futpv, headed by Wills Rangel, who has knelt down to the bosses, along with most of the federation board, giving away our collective contracts and all our rights, plunging the workers of PDVSA into the most absolute misery, earning starvation wages.

Comrade Bodas, together with Fran Luna, also director of Futpv and leader of C-CURA, are recognised nationally in all oil areas as the most consistent fighters for the rights and demands of the oil workers.

In the working areas, in the gates, throughout the country, in the media, in social networks, their position has been one of unwavering commitment to the working class bases. Our political position has been clear and transparent. Guided by the need to maintain the political independence of the workers from any bosses’ party, Bodas has no link with the bosses’ parties in the opposition led by Juan Guaido; he publicly repudiated imperialist interference and any foreign interference in our internal affairs, but he has also confronted the policy of the national government.

They want to take Bodas out of the political-union game because the current leadership of Futpv knows that in a new electoral process, they would probably lose with Bodas and the C-CURA slate. We know that they want to charge him for his unwavering commitment to the oil workers. Any action against the secretary general of the Futpv would be a retaliation for his stand in defence of the oil workers’s demands.

The national government develops a policy of persecution of the union leadership and the workers who fight in defence of their rights. This criminalisation of protest is now a common practice in PDVSA, in all public companies and against the different popular sectors that mobilise for their rights in the country.

This aims to continue applying the austerity package the government has been implementing since last year. That is why in PDVSA and other public institutions they have fired workers, forced retirement, protected illegal suspensions in private companies, criminalised and repressed peasants, youth and popular sectors that fight for food and public services. The willingness of the workers to struggle remains intact, and with the mobilisation we will defeat the government’s attempt to silence our demands.

We will be in the gates, in the docks, in the refineries, in the drills, in the offices, in all the working areas next to the active workers and pensioners. We will continue to do what we have always done: fight side by side with those from below, alongside those who fight for their rights.

We must reject these threats against Bodas. We call on the oil workers and all the workers of the country, even internationally, the trade union leaders and democratic social leaders to reject these threats of dismissal against Jose Bodas. There have already been declarations by union leaders against these threats. We also call on the FUTPV leadership to reject these threats and not to make these rumours of dismissal a reality.

Signatures for the campaign “No to the dismissal threat against Jose Bodas”

We, the undersigned, join the rejection of the threat of dismissal of union leader Jose Bodas, General Secretary of the Unitary Federation of Oil Workers of Venezuela.

Algeria

Popular Left Action

Argentina

Nicolás Del Caño, Presidential candidate, FIT-Unidad, National Deputy and national leader of the Socialist Workers Party (PTS) FIT-U; Romina del Pla, Vice-president candidate of the FIT-U, National Representative and leader of the Partido Obrero (PO), General Secretary SUTEBA Matanza; Juan Carlos Giordano, elected congress member (FIT-U) and national leader of the Socialist Left; Celeste Fierro, leader of the MST/FIT-U, National Coordinator of Boards and to the Left; Myrian Bregman, legislator of the City of Buenos Aires (CABA) and national leader of PTS-FIT-U; Cristian Castillo, national leader of PTS-FIT-U; Alejandro Crespo, General Secretary of SUTNA (Sindicato Unico de Trabajadores del Neumatico Argentinos); Rubén “Pollo” Sobrero, General Secretary of Union Ferroviaria Seccional Oeste- Haedo; Mónica Schottahuer, railway delegate and national deputy of Socialist Left-FIT; Vanina Biasi, APUBA Social delegate; Ileana Celotto, general secretary AGD UBA; Guillermo Pacagnini, General Secretary CICOP, Buenos Aires; Vilma Ripoll, leader of the MST in the FIT-U, m/c deputy; Jorge Adaro, General Secretary of Ademys union (CABA teachers); Laura Marrone, teacher and legislator of CABA by Socialist Left/FIT; Edgardo Reynoso, railway leader of the Delegates Corps of Ramal TBA-Sarmiento; Pablo Almeyda, General Delegate of the Ministry of Economy Association of State Workers (ATE); Mercedes Trimarchi, provincial deputy of Buenos Aires, of Socialist Left/FIT and leader of the group Isadora-Mujeres en Lucha; Liliana Olivero, former deputy for Córdoba of Socialist Left and FIT; Angélica Lagunas, Deputy for Neuquén of the Socialist Left and FIT, teacher union leader; Ezequiel Peressini, provincial legislator of Córdoba, Socialist Left /FIT; Claudio Dellecarbonara, Director of AGTSyP; Natalia González Seligra, Sec. de Organización Suteba Matanza; Javier “Poke” Hermosilla. Leader of the Food Board; Miguel Del Pla Secretary General CTA – A Sta Cruz- Teaching Tribune; Daniel Rapanelli, General Secretary Suteba Ensenada, Teaching Tribune; Alejandro Bodart, Leader of the MST in the FIT Unit, deputy m/c; Luciana Echevarría, Legislator MST for Córdoba; Luana Simioni, Secretary of the Internal Board of ATE Loma La Plata; Andrés “Chaplin ” Blanco, Assistant Secretary of Soecn de Neuquén; Jorge Medina, Leader of the factory under workers control “Mady Graf”; Lorena Gentile, Leader of the Bordo de la Alimentación list; Juan Contriciani, Joint Delegate of the Shipyard Rio Santiago; Victor Ottoboni, Secretary of Acts of the National Sutna; Raquel Blas – State Tribune – Mendoza – General Secretary CTA-A Mendoza; Federico Navarro delegate UOM Aluar sectional Puerto Madryn, Chubut; Laura Kozieniak, (La Naranja de Prensa, Secretary of Interior FATPREN); Soledad Sosa – Judicial Orange – Assistant Secretary CTA-A Mendoza; Enrique Andina Flores, Secretary General CI Morvillo. Lista Naranja gráfica; Juan Diez, general delegate APUBA Sociales; Mariano Rosa (Ecosocialist Network Coordinator); Sergio García (MST, FIT National Table Unit); GastiónVachiani (UTS General Secretary, Córdoba); Cesar Latorre (Italian Hospital General Delegate, CABA); Ingrid Urrutia (General Delegate ATE – INCAA, CABA); Alejandro Benedetti journalist editor of the Socialism Magazine of the Regroupment towards the PST and La Marx; Armando Aligia physicist, union delegate of the Bariloche Atomic Center; Ines Lozo MTL-Rebelde; Ricardo Garcia PSTU; Pablo A. Contardi CORREPI; Jorge Altamira, Legislador Ciudad de Buenos Aires (MC); Marcelo Ramal, Legislador Ciudad de Buenos Aires (MC); Luis Zamora, leader of Self-Determination and Freedom (AyL); Fernanado Vilardo Legisldor de Ciudad de Buenos Aires de AyL; Marta Martinez, Legisladora de Ciudad de Buenos Aires de AyL.

Australia

Fernanda de Queiroz Santos – Socialist Struggle – Melbourne, Australia Austria Michael Pröbsting, International Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (www.thecommunists.net)

Bolivia

Gualberto Arenas, member of the Executive Committee of the Unique Confederation of Peasant Workers of Bolivia (Confederación Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia); Juan Acosta, Executive Secretary Magisterio Urbano de Beni; Humberto Balderrama, national leader of the Workers’ Party; Amado Quispe, national leader of the Workers’ Party, health worker; Jesús Bernardo Choque, Oil factory worker, former leader of the Departmental Federation of Manufacturers, member of the Workers’ Party; Angélica Mamani, president of the Student Center; Victor Paz Estenssoro Educational Unit of La Paz; Eliseo Mamani, rural teacher, member of the Executive of FEJUVE (Federación Juntas Vecinales) of El Alto; Miguel Lamas, journalist, International Correspondence magazine, Cochabamba; Carlos Acarapi, factory manager, SIGMA company from Cochabamba Marcelo Flores, worker of the Caja Petrolera de Salud Cochabamba Revolutionary Socialist Factories; María Lohman, journalist, member of the College of Journalists, Somos Sur, Cochabamba; Javo Ferreira, leader of the Fourth International Revolutionary Workers League; Violeta Tamayo, Pan y Rosas Bolivia; Elio Aduviri, Secretary of Conflicts SITRASABSA (Airport Workers).

Brazil

Zé Maria – Presidente Nacional do PSTU; Ciro Garcia – Presidente PSTU RJ; Alternativa Socialista – AS/PSOL; Construção Socialista – CS/PSOL; Corriente Socialista de los Trabajadores – CST/PSOL; Muy a Socialista – LS/PSOL; MovimentoEsquerda Socialista – MÊS; Joao Batista Araujo “Babá”, Concejal CST en PSOL/Rio de Janeiro; Renato Cinco – Concejal PSOL/Rio de Janeiro; Plínio de ArrudaSampaioJr, Professor UNICAMP; Coletivo Feminista Marielle Vive!; COMBATE – Classista e pela Base (Corrente Sindical); Juntps – Juventude; Plataforma Sindical Mover; Unidos PraLutar/CSP – Conlutas – Tendência Sindical; Vamos à Luta–Juventude; Pedro Rosa, dirigente del Sintuff y la Fasubra (Federación trabajadores de las Universidades; Abdik dos Santos – Diretório PSOL Santarém; Adriano Dias – Delegado sindical Correios – RJ; Agnaldo Barbosa – Coordenador de aposentados SINTSEP; Alessandra Primo – Diretora SINTUFF; Alexandre Pacheco – Diretório Municipal do PSOL Jacareí/SP; Alexandre Roldan – Direção do Sindicato dos Metroviários do Estado de São Paulo; AnáliaTimóteo – Merendeira (Diretora do SEPE/Regional IV); Andrea Solimões – Unidos Pra Lutar – Tendência Sindical; Andrey Ferreira – Centro Acadêmico de Serviço Social CSS UFPA.; ÂndriaWasiuk – Estudante/ENFRENTE; Angélica Bruch – Coletivo Feminista “Marielle Vive”; Antonio Gilberto dos Santos Sanches – Diretoria do SINDIMETRÔ; Bernarda Thailana F. Gomes – Coordenadora Geral SINTUFF; Bianca Damacena – professora RS, membra da executiva estadual da CONLUTAS e da executiva estadual do PSOL; BrenoBrizola – Juventude Vamos a Luta – UFF; Bruno Peixoto – Diretoria DACS BH; Camila Palomo Debesaitys – Vice-presidente do SINDIMETRÔ; Carlinhos – Direção do Sindicato dos Químicos de São José dos Campos e Região-São Paulo; Carlos Abreu – Diretor SINTUFF; Carlos Alberto – Coordenador de Finanças do SINTEPP BELÉM/Unidos Pra Lutar – PA; Christian Queiroz – Curso de Ciência da Computação e do DCE Unicamp; Cindy Ishida – Executiva PSOL Minas Gerais; Cinthia Lima – Diretório Municipal PSOL- Ananindeua; Cirlene Coelho – Coordenadora Geral SINTUFF; Claire MariaMoraes Amaral – Professora – Conselho Geral do CPERS; Claudia da Silva Marisco – Diretora do Núcleo do CPERS – Cruz Alta; Clecia Vieira – merendeira e Diretora do Sepe regional V; ClemarMariaTrindade – Coletivo Feminista “Marielle Vive”; ConsolaçãoRodrigues – Coordenadora Suade do Trabalhador SINTSEP; Daniel costa – Centro acadêmico de engenhariaelétrica e biomédica CAEEB – UFPA; Daniel Pertuzatti – Bancário Banrisul e membro da executiva estadual da CONLUTAS; DaniellaDias – Ciências Sociais UFPA; Davi Paulo de Souza Junior – Presidente do PSOL Jacareí, Direção do Sindicato dos.; Químicos de São José dos Campos e Região/São Paulo; Denis Vale – Executiva Municipal PSOL Carioca; Dion Monteiro, Coordenador Executivo do Instituto Amazônia Solidária (IAMAS); Douglas Sena Rodrigues Curso de Ciências Sociais e do DCE Unicamp; DulcideiaPalheta – Direção da Associação dos Docentes da Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (ADUFRA).; Edson Luz – Delegado sindical Correios – RJ; Eduardo Pimentel – Executiva do SINTSEP-PA.; Eduardo Rodrigues – Comitê de Mobilização e Luta do IFPA; Elizabeth dos Santos Braga – Conselho Geral do CPERS; ElizandraDullius – Estudante/ENFRENTE; Emanuelle Braga – Secretaria Geral do Centro Acadêmico De História – CAHIS Ufpa; Emanuelly Nery – Diretório Municipal do PSOL de São José dos Campos/São PauloÉrica Reis – Direção da Sub-Sede do SINDSAÚDE Baião-PA; Florivaldo Menezes Filho, composer and university teacher.

Chile

Ranier Rios, MST leader (Socialist Workers Movement); Gustavo Burgos, Lawyer, Director of El Porteño magazine – Valparaiso Chile; Matías Alejandro Salgado Murillo, representative of Sociology UCSH. Militant of the MST UIT-CI; Daniela Alejandra Abarca Valdés, member of SEGESEX UCSH; -Gustavo González Araya, Advisor of the Consultative Council of Users of the Hospital San José; Mariela Vilarino, advisor of the psychology evening university academy Christian humanism; Vladimir Illesca, member of the Center of Students Liceo Barros Borgoño, follow the signatures.

Costa Rica

Orlando Barrantes (community leader) Felix López-Zambrana (MTC) Yumira Cortes (Produ-C, peasant) HellenGarcia (Skáwa, indigenous) Roger Sánchez (Caribbean Peasant Coordinator) Mauricio Barquero (CONATRAB, banana growers) David Morera Herrera, sociologist and professor at the National University of Costa Rica.

Cuba

Miguel Alejandro Hayes – The Trench Spanish State CGT of the Spanish State Cristina Mas. Trade union delegate for press workers. Militant of Internationalist Struggle (LI) Luis Carlos Gómez Pintado. Trade union delegate of AENA workers -Airports- Militante de LI Josep Lluis del Alcázar. Public education union delegate. Militant of LI Marga Olalla. Trade union delegate for municipal workers in Barcelona. Militant of LI Pedro Mercader. Public Education Trade Union Delegate. Militant of LI Miquel Blanch. Union delegate of adult school teachers, member of the CCOO Trade Union Current of Girona. Militant of LI M. Esther del Alcázar. Trade union delegate for public education. Militant of LI Luis M. Sáenz – Co-editor of the magazine trasversales.net

United States

David Turpin, Anti-WarCommittees in Solidarity with the Struggles for Self-Determination; John Kirkland, Carpenters union; Carol Gay, President, New Jersey Industrial Union Council.

France

Nathalie ARTHAUD, leader of Lutte Ouvriere Arlette LAGUILLER, leader of Lutte Ouvriere Armonia BORDES, leader of Lutte Ouvriere Jacques FONTENOY, leader of Lutte Ouvriere Organised by Lutte Ouvriere Union SyndicaleSolidaires Christian Mahieux Stephane Enjalran Nara Cladera Héctor Cavallaro, University of Paris 8 Saint Denis Honduras Tomas Andino Mencia, former deputy, human rights defender and popular activist England Harry Stannard, UNITE union Italy Franco Grisolia, international leader of the Communist Party of the Workers (PCL) Marco Ferrando, spokesman for the PCL Eugenio Gemmo, member of the PCL Central Committee Luca Scacchi, National Director of the Italian General Labour Centre (CGIL)

Kurdistan

MelikeYasar – Representative of the Kurdistan Women’s Movement in Latin America.

Mexico

Maria de Jesus “Marichuy” Patricio, former presidential pre-candidate of Mexico Carlos Gonzalez, member of the National Coordination of the National Indigenous Congress Canek Rodrigo Garcia Ramos, General Secretary of the D-III-20 of the National Union of Education Workers (Libraries) José Humberto Montes de Oca Luna, Foreign Secretary of the Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME), Mónica Jiménez Acosta, Secretary Treasurer, Jorge Eulises Uribe Gaona, member of the Comisión Autónoma de Hacienda, Modesto Gutiérrez Monasterio, Judge of the Comisión Autónoma de Justicia del SME. Gilberto Robles Álvarez, Secretary of Relations and Solidarity of the Independent Workers Union of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (SITUAM). Silverio Galicia Fuentes, Secretary of Foreign Relations of the Union of Academic Workers of the Autonomous University of Chapingo. Benito Belmont Ponce, Foreign Secretary of the Tramway Alliance of Mexico. Pablo Edgar Zamora Gutiérrez, Foreign Secretary of the Union of Passenger Transport Workers of the Federal District. Ricardo Sánchez Pineda, Secretary of Foreign Relations of the Unitary Union of Workers of the Institute of Higher Secondary Education. Alejandra Contreras Ramos, Secretary of Organization of the Independent Union of Research Workers in Health Sciences. Norma Aurora Camacho, Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Communication of the Trade Union Association of Workers of the National Housing Institute. José Manuel Rosell Morales, Secretary of Organization of the National Union of Teachers of the National College of Technical Professional Education. Ricardo Andrés Álvarez, representative of the Independent Workers Union of the Mexican Institute of Water Technology. Roberto Alcaraz, President of the Board of Directors of Labizet Cooperative. Francisco Saucedo Pérez, for the International Research Centre for the Social and Solidarity Economy. Héctor de la Cueva, Coordinator of the Center for Labor Research and Trade Union Advisory. Marisol Adaya Bautista, for the National Cooperative Alliance. Juan Manuel Soto Martínez, for the Sociedad Cooperativa de Trabajadores de Pascual. Workers’ Front for the Right to Health Jesús Torres Nuño, President of the Board of Directors of Western Democratic Workers, Sociedad Cooperativa Rosendo Castillo Amante, Secretary of the Board Jorge Wimber Alvarado, Member Treasurer Federico Martínez Barba, Member of the Board. Leda Silva Victoria, General Secretary of the D-III-52 Early Education Delegation, Section XI of the National Union of Education Workers. Enrique Gómez Delgado and Francisco Retama, Movimiento al Socialismo, Sección Mexicana de la Unidad Internacional de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores, IV Internacional. Genoveva Ramírez Fernández, Professor of Section X, CNTE-SNTE Juan Manuel Soto Martínez, Sociedad Cooperativa Trabajadores de Pascual Marisol Adaya Bautista, National Cooperative Alliance Nicaragua Federation of Workers’ Unions of the Commune of Managua (Fetracoma) Workers’ Committee

Panama

Priscilla Vásquez, national leader of the Social Security Workers of Panama Virgilio Arauz, leader of Propuesta Socialista.

Peru

Enrique Fernández Chacón, former national congressman, leader of Unidos en la Lucha /Frente Amplio Hugo Blanco, historic peasant leader.

Dominican Republic

Socialist Workers’ Movement

Switzerland

Udry Charles-André, economist Molo Romolo, lawyer; Dandre Christian, lawyer Barbey Charles, physicist; Zuppinger Urs, urban planner Sergi Giuseppe, trade unionist and teacher Pronzini Matteo, trade unionist Soldini Agostino, trade unionist.

Syria

Yassin al-Haj Saleh, writer Democratic Left Party Syrio Tunisia Hamdi Bechir, writer and revolutionnary

Turkey

Görkem Duru, editor of the April Newspaper Sedat Durel, General Secretary of the Union of Revolutionary Telecommunication and Call Center Workers (Devİletişim-İş) Atakan Çiftçi, delegate of the Union of Education and Science Workers (Eğitim-Sen) Oktay Çelik, Chairman of the Workers’ Democracy Party/ITU-CI Section Hakki Yükselenkirmizi Journalist.

Venezuela

Denis Guédez, delegate of the University Hospital of Caracas, of the Union of Hospitals and Clinics; Cruz Hernández, union delegate of Sidor and founder of the Classist Tendency Horacio Silva, oil leader, El Palito Refinery, PDVSA Tony Navas, Pte de Sirtrasalud, Distrito Capital; Marco Garcia, Sº de Relaciones y Propaganda del Sindicato nacional de Trabajadores de la Universidad Central de Venezuela; Francisco Javier Velasco, professor at the UCV and member of the Observatory of Political Ecology of Venezuela; Gregorio Afonso, Prof. UCV, Secretary of Apucv; Darío Gómez, teacher, delegate of Sinafum estado Lara; Comadres Feminist Collective; Manuel Isidro Molina, journalist and political analyst; Jairo Colmenares, board member of Sitrameca (Caracas Metro); Marco Ponce of the Venezuelan Social Conflict Observatory; Gustavo Martínez Rubio (Socialist Tide); Orlando Chirino (Socialism and Freedom Party-PSL); Oscar Linares, SirtraSalud Capital District Delegate; Gloria Panacual, SirtraSalud Capital District Delegate (Hospital José Gregorio Hernandez); Francis Hidalgo, SitraSalud Capital District Directive; Jairo Montaño, SirtraSalud Capital District Delegate (Hospital Riquez); Yanis Silva, Suomgia; Andrea López, filmmaker; Livia Vargas González, university professor.

Alliance of Middle Eastern and North African Socialists.