ORIT: CTV should stick to worker's issues and not play second fiddle to politicos

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuel;a's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions America's Region (ICFTU-ORIT) organizer Ivan Gonzalez says the Venezuelan Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) must recover its role as defender of worker's rights and be carried away by momentary issues. 

Speaking at a forum on worker's rights, Gonzalez warns that the CTV cannot expect automatic international solidarity, if it centers activities around political issues. 

Addressing CTV human rights committee, the ORIT representative says that the CTV's fight revolves around getting rid of President Hugo Chavez Frias, then it will be difficult for ORIT to accompany them. 

Trade union leadership must take up the perspective of the defense of human and worker's rights and be more inclusive as regards enrolling people working in the informal economy... Gonzalez admits that there is a legitimate and respectable way of fighting against a government it is a fine line  ... "don't come running to us when there are prisoners or somebody is exiled or when something has to be done." 

This is not the first time that ORIT and indeed the International Labor Organization (ILO) has questioned the dominance of immediate political gains over trade union issues on the part of current CTV leaders.  ILO and ORIT leaders have commented that the experience of CIA interference in other continental trade unions still leaves a bitter taste ... it has made them suspicious regarding hidden agendas  in the current Venezuelan political conflict.

• ORIT is the America's Region (North and South) of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).

Venezuelan human rights group PROVEA leader, Marino Alvarado talked about advances and reverses over the last couple of years, welcoming the quantification of the State's labor liabilities to public sector workers ... "unfortunately it hasn't been done on a State and municipal level." 

Alvarado comments that the State has adopted as policy of violating union freedoms ... "Venezuela must ratify the San Salvador Protocol that recognizes the right to strike and the defense of labor rights at the Inter American Human Rights Court  ... something that becomes obligatory for all signatories."