Polish trade-unions support Mitsubishi workers in Venezuela

In what is the 10^th anniversary of the Bolivarian Revolution, a meeting was held in the headquarters of the biggest Polish trade-union confederation to discuss the situation in this Latin American country.  On February 2^nd, two members of the Venezuelan National Assembly - Carmen Alvarez and Ricardo Capella, were received by the leadership of the All Polish Trade Union Alliance (OPZZ). The OPZZ president Jan Guz, vice-president Wieslawa Taranowska, and  Piotr Ostrowski, head of the OPZZ's international department were there. The meeting was co-organized by the Venezuelan embassy in Poland, OPZZ and the editors of the "New Popular Weekly" - a big Polish trade-union magazine who are members of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign as well.

During the meeting a whole series of issues and questions were raised. Polish trade-unionists expressed their desire to learn more about the Venezuelan trade-union movement and its actions. A significant part of the meeting was devoted to the situation of women in Venezuela. Carmen and Ricardo explained that the position of women has improved in the last 10 years not because of the decrees and laws passed by President Chavez but, because of the constant day-to-day struggle of working women who fought for the application of these laws.

The Venezuelan delegation also explained the content and significance of the upcoming constitutional amendment referendum. For their part, leaders of the OPZZ stressed that the union - as a left-wing organization - will always be in favor of pro-social actions in Venezuela and will always support the Venezuelan people in whatever decisions they make in a democratic process.

The important part of the meeting was devoted also to the role of the media, both in Venezuela and in Poland. Bojan Stanislawski, deputy chief editor of the "New Popular Weekly" and an HOV supporter, expressed wholehearted support for the struggle against media terrorism. He also took up the question of recent events in Anzoategui where three workers were murdered by police while trying to evict them from the occupied Mitsubishi factory. Then, Wojciech Figiel made a short balance-sheet of the Bolivarian Revolution and urged the National Assembly of Venezuela to immediately pass a decree on expropriation of all occupied factories under workers control as the only viable way to finish with the domination and power of the oligarchy once and for all. He also made an appeal to resolve the conflict in Mitsubishi in favor of the protesting workers and asked members of the Venezuelan National Assembly present at the meeting to deliver the protest message concerning MMC workers directly to the President. Vice-chairperson of the OPZZ in turn expressed her solidarity with Venezuelan workers and urged the Venezuelan delegation to raise the issue of the repressed workers to President Chavez.

At the end of the meeting a letter of protest, signed by the editors of the "New Popular Weekly" was handed to the delegation from Venezuela.

This meeting was a very positive step forward for consolidating and strengthening the relations between Venezuela and the Polish trade-union movement. It also showed the interest with which Polish trade unionists are following events in Venezuela. It was a part of the coordinated effort to publicize the case of the repressed workers of Mitsubishi that has been taken up by the Hands Off Venezuela campaign internationally.