Venezuela Court Says Oil Workers Fired Illegally, Nacional Says
June 13 (<a href=quote.bloomberg.com>Bloomberg) -- Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled the firing of about 18,000 oil workers by the government during a two- month strike was illegal because the workers were union members, El Nacional said.
The court said the workers status as members of the Unapetrol union prevented the government from firing them, the newspaper said. Labor Minister Maria Cristina Iglesias said the government would not rehire the workers and that the firings were justified because the workers had abandoned their jobs for more than three days, the paper said.
The strike in December and January, which cut oil production by as much as 95 percent, cost the economy $7.4 billion. Labor unions, business leaders and former oil executives organized the national work stoppage to pressure President Hugo Chavez to step down and hold elections.
Venezuela may hold a binding referendum later this year on Chavez's rule.
(EN, 6/13 B1)
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