Radio WBAI’s Building Bridges:

Your Community & Labor Report

Produced & Hosted by Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash

Venezuelan Unions In Reshuffle with

Francisco Torrealba, Pres., Caracas Metro Workers Union & a leader of the new National Union of Venezuelan Workers (UNTV) labor federation.


Trade Unions in Venezuela have set up a new umbrella group in opposition to the Confederation of Venezuelan Workers (CTV), which led the co-called strike aimed at removing President

Hugo Chavez from power.


An alliance between CTV, which had betrayed the fight to defend workers’ rights in favour of aligning itself with the employers federation, & Venezuela’s business association, Fedecamaras –

known as the Democratic Coordinating Board – led a 63-day economic shutdown to demand elections. Venezuela, the world’s fifth largest oil exporter, saw its oil industry grind to a halt which, in combination with the buildup to the war in Iraq, sent global oil prices

soaring.


Now, the head of the Caracas’s underground transit workers’ union, Francisco Torrealba, says that “rank-and-file unions throughout

the country” have approved the creation of the National Union of Venezuelan Workers (UNTV). Mr. Torrealba said. “The UNTV is autonomous from the government, political parties and business owners.” UNTV will hold its founding Convention later this month.

Building Bridges is regularly broadcast over WBAI 99.5 fm in New york City on Mondays from 4-5 PM PT and is streamed live at www.2600.com/offthe>hook/hot2.ram

*********************************************************

For more information http://www.buildingbridgesonline.org

send e-mail to knish@igc.org

Radio WBAI’s Building Bridges

************************************************************