VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports: Former Sidor worker, trade union leader and 'supremo' of the Causa R opposition political party, Andres Velasquez is engaged on recovering influence among Guayana workers. Velasquez accuses President Chavez of lying to workers by proposing recovery plans that are never put into anything concrete, such as a recent announcement to nationalize briquette companies.

"Trade unionists that supported the nationalization are now nervous and crying to the high heavens that they know nothing about what will happen to the companies or about plans to invest in them ... the nationalization programme is in ruins."

The opposition leader also points to a recent fatal accident in Sidor, claiming that trade unionists have been alerting about safety problems there and in the other basic industries for a long time. From an accident rate of 15 in 2007, Velasquez maintains, during the last months and under nationalization the rate in Sidor has shot to 35 a month without any correctives being put in place.

"The board of directors and trade union leaders are more interested in politics and Socialism than attending matters of hygiene, industrial safety and working conditions.”

The Causa R leader criticizes the National Guard for impounding photographic equipment from reporters covering a Sidor union meeting and pro-government trade union leaders, such as Jose Melendez for manhandling the journalists. Yesterday, members of the Guayana Workers Movement added their voice of protest over treatment of the media covering basic companies. The group states that thanks to the coverage of private media, President Chavez found out what was happening in Sidor, contrary to reports from state television VTV indicating that there were no problems at all.

According to the group, 265 of 395 cells are out of service in CVG-Alcasa ... CVG-Bauxilum is operating at 40% of its installed capacity ... and CVG-Carbonarca is paralyzed.

In other news, all trucks carrying workers from basic industries are being tested for road-worthiness after one of them veered off the bridge and plunged into the Caroni river, killing the workers. The covered pick-up trucks are called "perreras" (dog-carriers) by locals and are the main form of transport for many workers.

Caroni Mayor Jose Ramon Lopez has ruled out any immediate elimination of the trucks but has promised that in two years time the service will change for the better with the introduction of 50 buses.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com

http://www.vheadline