Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was re-elected in October 7, winning more than 55% of the vote. He stood on a detailed 39-page program to deepen the popular revolution his government is leading, which has already lowered extreme poverty by more than 70%. The plan to push for a socialist transition over Chavez's next six-year term will be debated in communities and popular organisations across Venezuela over the coming months, before it is put to the National Assembly for adoption early next year.
British socialist Sam McGill visited Venezuela during the election campaign. In the article below, reprinted from the Revolutionary Communist Group's website, McGill looks at one example of the attempt to create a new pro-people economy across the country.
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After speaking to political economist Pablo Giminez about the importance of developing Venezuela's industrial production the day before, we had the chance to visit a gas cylinder factory and see these politics in process.
The PDVSA Gas Communal “Ambrosio Plaza” plant in Las Guarenas, Miranda State, produces more than 1000 gas cylinders each day, contributing to guaranteeing the supply of subsidised gas for domestic use to the Venezuelan population. About 90% of families use this gas for cooking and for their household needs.
The state-owned company is a product of the expropriation of two private gas companies that took part in the oil lock outs of 2002 and 2003. Vengas and Tropigas were expropriated in 2006 and now the state-owned company makes up around 50% of the total gas market with 58 generator plants and 10 manufacturing plants.
All the raw materials for the plant come from Venezuelan companies, fostering the kind of manufacturing links required for national productive development.
As Royer Gonzalez, one of the managers of the plant, explained: “We are working to change the consciousness of the workers, we were a private company that was expropriated but now we're working for the state in order to develop socialism.
“The old way of organising, through traditional trade unions who are struggling against private bosses to improve our living condition, no longer fits our model.
“Of course we participate in the direction of the plant and to ensure our standard of living, but now our boss is Chavez, the state, the whole of our society, we are now working within the process of socialism.”
Gonzalez explained that through the workers' councils, PDVSA gas communal had participated in discussing and making proposals to the New Labour Law, which was finally ratified in the National Assembly on May 1. The law has cut the working week from 44 hours to 40, as well as developing workers rights in relation to paternity and maternity leave, pensions and sickness leave.
Royer pointed out: “The debate over the new labour law was facilitated in many different forms, through Twitter, Facebook, workers council meetings.
“It is the most revolutionary labour law that we have ever had, now this law defends the working class, previously it was a law that defended the ruling class, the bosses.”
We visited the plant to see the process of production of gas cylinders and huge gas tanks. Tania Uribe, a female plant manager, told us that these big gas tanks were destined for the apartment blocks that have been built through the Great Housing Mission which has already constructed over 244,000 homes.
Maria Gabriela Irazabal, a young manager at the plant, emphasised the importance of the involvement of women in the plant. The plant now pays for childcare and the workers receive a subsidised lunch through the “mission of knowledge and work”.
Alongside childcare, the government has also developed a “vacation plan” to look after and provide opportunities for children outside the school terms. This kind of collectivised provision has allowed women to play more of a role in the overall work of PDVSA gas comunal.
Freddy Trujillo, a 22 year old worker at the plant explained the importance of developing political consciousness through their work: “Now we are working alongside Chavez, working to construct the 'gran patria' [great homeland], not just for ourselves, for our own standard of living, but for all the Venezuelan population, ensuring they receive the gas they need to meet their domestic requirements.”
Trujillo said the plant does not just produce gas cylinders, but provides educational and cultural opportunities for its workers. “From 2pm to 4pm everyday, we can attend classes of Mission Ribas, an educational programme where adults who haven’t completed their secondary school education can gain qualifications that allow the to attend university.
“We also hold regular cultural activities, organise campaigns in support of the revolution, particularly over the elections, and hold regular MERCAL subsidised food markets for the employees.”
As Irazabal pointed out: “We are not only producing goods here, but we are transforming consciousness and organising politically, we hold forums, film showings, organise study brigades to Cuba. As Che spoke of, we are developing the new man and the new woman.”
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