80 new jobs created at Caracas (Simon Bolivar) international airport

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, April 04, 2003 By: David Coleman

Two small business cooperatives have begun operations at Caracas (Simon Bolivar) international airport at Maiquetia creating 80 new jobs, mostly in terminal building maintenance and (much needed) cleaning services.

IAAIM director Jose Gregorio Vielma Mora, who is in overall charge of airport operations, says that the Guipuzcoana and 24 de Enero cooperatives bring together 17 employees assigned to service and maintenance of lawns ands green areas within the air terminal's perimeter with a further 24 assigned to collection and disposal of solid wastes from commercial concessions within the terminal itself.

Vielma Mora says that a total 10 small business cooperatives have been formed since January aimed at reducing endemic unemployment in local communities where IAAIM will contribute with democratic administration, social education and a limited amount of investment capital to each.  "Ideally, we will be able to get away from seasonal (6-month) employment contracts into a more permanent system ... we want to help small businesses with specialized courses, through the government training program INCE, to become viable year-round small businesses."

In the meantime Vielma Mora admits that authorities have activated a long-term savings program that will inevitably see a number of work contracts at the airport rescinded ... the net result is that some 50 seasonal employees will lose their jobs ... "we hope that most of them will move into the new jobs created with the new small business cooperatives."