Brent trades council sends solidarity message to Venezuelans

From Morning Star, Friday April 27 2007

BRENT trades council pledged solidarity with workers at an occupied bathroom ceramics factory in Venezuela on Wednesday night.

The council, which is involved in the Wembley Park city academy land occupation, voted unanimously to support the struggle of workers at Sanitarios Maracay, which has been occupied since last November.

Members of the council, many of whom are veterans of the Grunwick dispute 30 years ago, also agreed to send £100 to the workers, who are asking the government to nationalise the factory under workers' control.

A lively question and answer session followed three short films introduced by Sheila Robin, who explained that the owner - a participant in the 2002 coup - had shut the factory to break a collective bargaining agreement.

Ms Robin, who visited the factory last December as part of a international delegation organised by Hands Off Venezuela, explained: "The revolution in Venezuela is an inspiration to workers all over the world and it's important to build links directly with grass-roots movements there."

She added that international solidarity was especially vital as there had been incidents of repression against the workers, including the arrest of 21 people travelling to a national occupied factories demonstration the day before.

The council voted "to support the calls for the resignation of state governor Didalco Bolivar" over the issue. As the meeting ended, news came through that all the prisoners had been released.