After the street protests, the Sidor workers’ commission maintains that it will not accept the participation of union representatives who “sold out”, agreed with the government and signed memorandum 2792 that stripped them of benefits. They trust that the governor of Bolívar state will help them, although he does not have the power to decide on salaries or the reinstatement of non-required workers.
Text: Francesca Diaz / Caroní Mail
Workers of the Siderúrgica del Orinoco (Sidor), who staged a five-day strike on Avenida de los Trabajadores, reported at a press conference that they will sit at a work table with official authorities, as agreed during the meeting they held with the governor, Angel Marcano (PSUV), on January 13. They also stressed that they will not admit the participation of Sutiss representatives due to the “collusion” by the union to sign the memo 2792.
«We were chosen by the men and women who were at the table. We and the authorities, including the governor, were willing to resolve this conflict. We went to this negotiation with imprisoned workers and with dismissal qualification. What did we achieve? May those men in prison today be with their families. Anyone who has had a relative imprisoned knows what that is worth,” said César Marcano, a Ferrominera Orinoco worker and representative of the workers at the dialogue table.
“We had these compañeros prisoners and yes, our priority was that they were with their family and we had to give in on certain aspects. We left with high morale because we did not negotiate the benefits of any worker.
Workers feel that Sutiss, which used to be the largest labor organization in the country, corrupted itself by selling employee benefits for personal favors to its management, leading to the current situation and stripping them of their benefits
These statements refer to the criticism they have received from public opinion regarding the agreements reached, since the release of the detained workers —who were imprisoned by the State to put an end to the protest— was prioritized, and not the salary improvements, which were the initial reason for the strike, an issue in which there was no progress beyond the installation of the dialogue table with the state authorities and the restitution of the delivery of food bags for non-required employees.
«The governor promised that all those not required will receive their bag and the benefits of the food: that is progress. The harassment stopped and the dismissal qualifications stopped so that the workers who participated in the protest could return to their jobs. Those were achievements. But this table continues and we are going to sit down on Thursday with the governor and the authorities,” added the ironworker.
The commission stressed that The salary issue was discussed at the meeting, where they proposed the indexation of the salary to the value of the dollar. However, they assured that this could not be obtained immediately, since it is necessary to present the proposal to the national authorities.
*Also read: Sidor workers arrested for protesting are given probation
Union reappears after years of neglect in Sidor
Faced with strong criticism regarding the absence of union leadership in these meetings and the lack of expertise in negotiations of those present, the commission responded by requesting the support of all the workers and emphasizing that “they are not due to any trade unionist, but to the working mass”.
“Those who are attacking us today, union leaders – I am glad they have come out of where they were – we are not their enemies. The enemies were you when you left the workers alone and did not fight for wage demands,” said César Marcano.
The rejection felt by the workers by the authorities of their union dates from 2018, when in the framework of labor protests, union leaders signed memorandum 2792 that eradicated worker benefits.
Workers feel that Sutiss, which used to be the country’s largest labor organization, has become corrupted selling labor benefits in exchange for personal favors to their management, which led to the current situation and stripped them of their benefits.
Sutiss has been inactive since 2019, when its authorities did not lead any protest or labor claim, despite the poor conditions in which the workers remain.
To this situation we must add that the leaders are in arrears union, since they were elected in 2012 and the National Electoral Council (CNE) suspended the elections scheduled for 2015.
“That union was defeated. they died. Those trade unionists who are in their homes and left the workers alone, as they see that this is the body that is defending the workers they want to echo to see if the bad is forgotten what did you do. Ask the Sidor workers if they want (Leonardo) Azócar to represent them, go and see if the workers agree. Here the scoundrel does not fit, “loud Luis Medina, a member of the commission.
A counterpart without competences
Wilan Díaz, a Sidorista and part of the commission, emphasized that the Bolívar Governor’s Office gave the order to reinstate all non-required workers, since the figure of the pandemic no longer exists. However, the Government has no competence to make these decisions, and can only appear as a mediator with the authorities of CVG and Sidor.
Even so, the workers stressed that they will also continue to fight for salary improvements and compliance with the payment of benefits owed to them.
The commission highlighted that the salary issue was discussed at the meeting, where they proposed the indexation of the salary to the dollar. However, they assured that this could not be obtained, since it is necessary to present the proposal to the national authorities
Until now, there is no knowledge of what type of support the Government will provide, taking into account that the entity has no competence in salary matters or participation in the administration of basic companies. In turn, no representative of the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana attended the meeting between the employees and the authorities.
– Do you believe in this meeting, despite the fact that the Government has no competence to decide on salary matters or on the reinstatement of those not required?
-We will never lose faith that agreements can be reached here. The governor let us know that he was a worker and knows about these struggles. He promised to speak with the presidents of the basic companies and we believe him. We know that the governor has no competence, but it is his obligation to call these presidents. The president of the republic, Nicolás Maduro, authorized him to speak with us to cease these conflicts and claims. The people who have to resolve these conflicts, the presidents of the basic companies, must be at these negotiating tables.
*Read also: Government delegated commission to dialogue with workers on strike in Sidor
“We are not satisfied”
The representatives of the commission stressed that they are not satisfied with the results, since there are still other issues to be resolved at the table, but they assure that they are working to achieve progress.
They presented a document with the points that they are going to raise with the authorities, among them, the indexation of wages to the dollar and the elimination of memorandum 2792; vacation pay for required and non-required workers; immediate payment of social benefits; investment for the productive rise of the CVG holding companies and the reinstatement of workers not required to their jobs.
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