Venezuelan oil strikers vow to stay out until deal

www.alertnet.org 24 Jan 2003 17:39

CARACAS, Venezuela, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Dissident Venezuelan oil workers said on Friday they would maintain a 54-day-old strike in the world's fifth largest oil exporter until the government agreed to early elections and a deal to return them to their jobs.

The strike has slashed oil exports to a quarter of pre-strike levels, threatening the OPEC member country with economic collapse.

"We agree to maintain the strike until we obtain guarantees of a solution to the country's crisis which includes elections and restoring (state oil giant) Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA)," strike leader Juan Fernandez told an assembly of PDVSA dissidents in Caracas.

Opposition leaders have insisted that any agreement on elections be tied to a decision to reincorporate thousands of striking employees who have been sacked by the government in its attempt to break the strike.