John Cleary
There are about 35,000 electrical industry workers in Venezuela. They are organised in 30 unions, which together form Fetraelec. About 80% of all workers in the electrical industry are in unions.
A new leadership was elected in Fetraelec in 2002. The collective agreements had not been renewed for the previous seven years and wages stayed the same during that time. Since 2002 there have been three rounds of collective bargaining across the industry that have dramatically improved wages and conditions — some workers increased their wages up to eight times. In addition, all workers now receive a coupon that gives access to some basic foods.
Like most unions, Fetraelec was affiliated to the Central Union of Workers (CTV). But when the CTV stood side by side with the national employer organisation Fedecamaras and called for a national strike to bring down the pro-worker government of Hugo Chavez, Fetraelec disaffiliated from the CTV and joined the new National Union of Workers (UNT).
The electrical industry is predominantly in public hands, with the exception of Central Caracas, which was created as a private company, and the tourist island Isla de Margarita, which was privatised prior to the election of Chavez. Privatisation of industry was a major issue in the 1998 election that brought Chavez and the MVR (Movement for the Fifth Republic) to power. Chavez has stopped all new privatisation of state industry.
The electrical industry was run down for more than 15 years as a result of the neoliberal privatisation agenda of the previous government.
Cadafe is the largest electrical company, with more than 14,000 workers. It has been in the red for more than 20 years and the unions are now demanding greater involvement in decision-making, and reinvestment in plant and equipment.
The Chavez government has commenced a major program of investment and is developing a process to consolidate all the separate electricity businesses into one entity. At Cadafe, the government appointed four Fetraelec officials to the board of directors. There is currently one directly elected worker representative, but the intention is to have all worker positions directly elected in the future.
Workers have formed committees to put forward proposals about company investment, plant and equipment, safety procedures and worker involvement. The process of contracting out work has been reversed, as worker representatives now must approve all contracts. A new training school has been established to fix the skills shortage created through management neglect. The school is open to anyone over 15 years of age, with preference to those who have parents employed in the industry. The school has 700 students and also incorporates programs such as Mission Robinson and Mission Sucre (the basic literacy and education programs delivered to all Venezuelans).
A new body called the Social Management and Communication Group has been formed with direct worker representation to coordinate training and bring workers into the industry. The management is resisting change and there have been cases of discrimination against committee members and threats of dismissal. The bosses have also attempted to form parallel tame unions but with little success.
Fetraelec has been running a campaign to demand the full implementation of cogestion, the worker participation process supported by the government. The workers are demanding the right to participate in decisions affecting them — a requirement of Venezuela's constitution.
Cogestion is a key demand for Fetraelec. When workers win genuine participation in management, it becomes possible to resolve other issues such as inadequate investment in new plant and equipment and pressing health and safety issues.
The Fetraelec workers are well aware that they have a long and difficult struggle ahead to change their industry so that it provides for the workers and the entire community, rather than the narrow self-interest of management.
[John Cleary is a member of the Electrical Trades Union. He participated in the first Australia-Venezuela solidarity brigade in July-August and was part of a delegation to the Caracas Fetraelec office.]
From Green Left Weekly, November 9, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.