Most of the world's governments are quickly moving to shift the burden of the economic meltdown onto workers. However, on May 1, the revolutionary government of Venezuela will officially raise the minimum wage by 10%.
This is part of its anti-crisis measures aimed at ensuring the poor are not made to pay for the consequences of the crisis created by capitalism. The government has also said it will raise the minimum wage by a further 10% later this year.
As part of the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN) delegation to Venezuela, representatives and members from several Australian trade unions are now in Venezuela learning about its revolution.
The delegation is meeting Venezuelan trade unionists and community activists to discuss the important gains made by workers and the poor.
These include universal access to free education and health care, experiments in worker-run factories and cooperatives, and the re-nationalisation of strategic industries such as electricity, telecommunications and steel — privatised by previous neoliberal regimes.
After the 10-day tour, some of the participants of the AVSN delegation will go on to join other unionists from around the world, and the Cuban people, in Havana to celebrate a historic May Day, the 50th since the 1959 Cuban Revolution.
AVSN organises regular delegations to Venezuela to give people the opportunity to find out more about Venezuela's fascinating experiment in social change. The next one will be in late November this year.
AVSN is also once again running a guessing competition, with the first prize being a funded place (including international airfares) on a solidarity brigade from Australia to Venezuela to the value of $3500.
If you would like participants from the delegation to Venezuela to give a report back to your union or organisation, or to find out about the next brigade and guessing competition, visit http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org or phone Fred on 0423 538 265.