[Marxism] Venezuelan Oil Workers Clash with Police Over Collective Contract

[David Walters]

[More inter-union rivalry having a bad effect on oil workers in 
Venezuela--David]

It looks like "push is going to shove" in Venezuela.


Venezuelan Oil Workers Clash with Police Over Collective Contract
September 30th 2007, by Kiraz Janicke – Venezuelanalysis.com

Caracas, September 29, 2007, (venezuelanalysis.com) - Venezuela's Energy 
Minister and president of the state owned oil company PDVSA, Rafael 
Ramirez, assured that the collective contract for oil workers, which has 
been under negotiation since April, would be finalised in the next two 
weeks after clashes between oil workers and police in Anzoátegui state 
on Thursday left several people injured.

Some 150 workers from the oil refinery of Puerto La Cruz, together with 
workers from the Jose Industrial Complex were marching to the offices of 
the Venezuelan Oil Corporation (CVP) in Urbaneja municipality to present 
a document to Ramirez, who was meeting with a negotiating commission of 
the United Oil Workers Federation of Venezuela (FUTPV), when they were 
intercepted by Immediate Response Group - Police Force of Anzoátegui.

In the resulting clashes, which lasted three hours, 40 workers were 
arrested and three were injured, including Richard Querecuto, who was 
shot in the left shoulder. A bus carrying passengers was also attacked 
by police who launched a tear gas bomb inside causing panic and 
asphyxiation. With news of the police repression 4,000 workers from 
Petroanzoátegui, Petrocedeño, and the project San Cristóbal immediately 
stopped work.

Anzoategui State Governor Tarek William Saab, condemned the police 
violence. To the independent media website Aporrea.org he issued a 
statement on Saturday, in which he stated, "We will not allow the 
citizens in the state of Anzoategui are battered in any way." He went on 
to say, "If the Anzoategui police are involved in this situation, they 
will be punished with severity and turned over to the justice system."

[Full: http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/2665 ]