The Venezuelan Unión Nacional de Trabajadores (UNT) congress broke up in acrimony this weekend, with two distinct tendencies holding separate plenaries at the end after bitter disputes.
The congress took place on 25-27 May and was the first conference the confederation has held since it was founded in August 2003.
According to an eyewitness report by Andy Goodall, national coordinator of the UK-based Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, on the first day of the congress, double the number of expected delegates turned up, and despite a venue holding 2,500 people, half the potential delegates could not get in. Officially, 16 national unions and 700 local trade unions are affiliated to the UNT.
However once the congress got underway, divisions emerged. Around three-quarters of the delegates supported the “class struggle current” CCURA, led by Orlando Chirino. The remaining quarter supported the pro-Chávez FBT led by Marcela Maspero and the Autonomía Sindical, led by Franklin Rondón.
According to reports on the Aporrea website, the minority walked out of the congress to hold its own parallel meeting. Before their departure, the congress hall broke down in discord. The minority delegates shouted, “10 million votes for Chávez is the priority”, “Chávez first” and “union elections next year”. The majority replied “elections, elections, we want elections “, “Chirino, Chirino”, but also called for 10 million votes for Chávez and shouted Chávez’s name.
The different currents had agreed a “Declaration of Principles and the UNT we want” and a “Programme and Plan of Struggle for Workers”. However the immediate cause of the dispute was the date of elections for the UNT leadership. The minority wanted to put off elections until next year, in order to concentrate on getting 10 million votes for Chávez in the presidential elections in December.
The current around Chirino insisted that the leadership of the UNT must be elected as soon as possible, suggesting 15 September as the best date. (UNT coordinators were appointed at the outset). It also wanted to discuss problems of bureaucracy and corruption with the UNT.
At a deeper level, the split indicates different conception of how the UNT should relate to the Chávez government. The current around Chirino, although defending Chávez against coups, the old oligarchy and US intervention, wants the UNT first and foremost to defend the interests of workers and remain independent of the government.
The Chirino current also wants a different conception of trade union democracy, breaking from the practices of the discredited CTV. Some of the leaders of UNT-affiliated unions were previously members of the CTV.
Although Chirino and his closest supporters are in favour of voting for Chávez in December and joining the “10 million votes” drive, not everyone in their tendency agrees. Within the Party of Revolution and Socialism (PRS), which includes many CCURA leaders (such as Chirino), there is a debate about whether to back Chávez or stand their own candidate (see their paper Opción Socialista, March 2006).
A number of notable class struggles going on in Venezuela at present that indicate the problems workers face in the “Bolivarian Socialist Republic”.
Workers at the Sel-fex textile factory have been told that the company is bankrupt, despite six months of occupation of the plant. Around 240 workers, members of the textile union SUTRATEX are set to lose their jobs unless the government nationalises the factory.
Workers at the Orimalca company, a contractor for steel giant SIDOR, are facing an attack from bosses, who have torn up a collective agreement and are now denouncing their union SUTRAORIMALCA in the press.
Workers at the Droguería Race pharmacy company have been denied recognition of their union SUPROFARD, despite having been constituted legally and having the majority of workers supporting them. Instead management are negotiating with a company union called Unitrace.
And workers in Carabobo state have been fighting to defend public health care after the governor initiated plans to privatise public health facilities.
There are class lines in these battles and most Chávista politicians are on the wrong side of the barricades. These struggles indicate why an independent UNT is absolutely necessary in Venezuela at present. They also indicate why workers need their own political party. Chávez’s government is not a workers’ government and his movement does not represent the interests of Venezuelan workers.
More information:
Aporrea, http://www.aporrea.org
PRS, http://www.revolucionysocialismo.org
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, http://venezuelasolidarity.org.uk
