CTV gets edgy about business sector proposals to cut hours and wages

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic NewsPosted: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuelan Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV)  general secretary, Manual Cova is getting edgy about proposals from Venezuelan Captains of Industry regarding flexibilizing labor relations. 

Covering his back against  possible grass-root backlash, Cova has told national stoppage ally, the Confederation of Industry (Conindustria),  that business sectors must assume some quota of sacrifice to avoid more layoffs. 

The fear of companies laying off workers after the national stoppage has been in the back of CTV leaders' minds as business sectors try to find their feet again after failing to rid Venezuela of President Hugo Chavez Frias. 

CTV leaders have told business leaders that part of the sacrifice involves tightening their own public expenditures, such as holidays abroad and purchases of luxury items. The image of Federation of Chambers of Industry & Commerce (Fedecamaras) president, Carlos Fernandez bathing in the Aruba during the Christmas holidays supposedly recovering from a heart condition did not go down well with union leaders sweating it out on Caracas streets. 

Cova confirms that the CTV will make an effort to avoid job losses but the sacrifice must be for all sectors and not just the workers. Conindustria's solution is to reduce work hours and work days to keep jobs and expects the CTV to agree to what employers see as a temporary and emergency measure.

 On the international front, the CTV executive committee has demanded that the International Labor Organization (ILO) "expel the recently created National Union of Workers (UNT) from ILO general assembly sessions. 

CTV executive secretary, Froilan Barrios says former CTV legal adviser and current ILO Administration Council president, Jesus Urbieta has handed the ILO verification committee a Venezuelan National Electoral College (CNE) document confirming the CTV as Venezuela's major worker's central. "The ILO has also received the text of a Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ)  ruling that the CTV is the most representative union organization in Venezuela."