Hands Off Venezuela making inroads in the trade union movement

On May 1, to coincide with the celebration of International Workers' day, the Hands Off Venezuela campaign launched an “Open Letter to US trade unionists”. This was in reaction to the belligerent statements and attacks on President Chavez on the part of the representatives of the U.S. government.

The response to the appeal has been a great success. More than 1000 trade unionists have so far signed the Open Letter, coming from a wide range of countries, from Argentina to Canada; Mexico to Sweden; Israel to Austria. Signatories come from more than 20 different countries, including more than 300 signatures from members of all major unions in Britain, including General Secretaries Jeremy Dear from the National Union of Journalists, Matt Wrack from the Fire Brigades Union, and Derek Simpson from the 1.2 million-strong AMICUS union. From Bolivia, Jaime Solares, the secretary of the Bolivian trade union federation COB, and Miguel Zubieta, secretary of the Miners’ Union FSTMB have both signed the letter.

These signatures will now be handed in at the AFL-CIO convention on July 25-28. (see the PDF file with the signatures)

In Britain, this year’s conference season has been quite successful from the point of view of raising awareness about the Venezuelan revolution and the Hands Off Venezuela campaign. Resolutions have been discussed and passed at NUJ (http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/national_union_journalists110405.htm), NATFHE (http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/natfhe_support_bolivarian_revolution.htm) and AMICUS (http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/amicus_supports_venezuela190505_3.htm), and the issue has also been raised at the RMT
(http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/unt_rmt_railway_workers_congress290605_2.htm) and FBU (http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/fbu_conference_2005.htm) conferences. Motions were also sent to UNISON (http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/cuba_colombia_unison_conference_2.htm) and PCS conferences and though they were finally not discussed for lack of time, successful fringe meetings were organised at both of them.

Apart from the trade unions, Hands Off Venezuela has also been busy in the parliamentary front, where John McDonnell MP, who is also the honorary president of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign, raised two Early Day Motions. One expresses support for the advances of the Venezuelan government and congratulates the Hands Off Venezuela campaign, and the other asks for the extradition of self confessed terrorist Posada Carriles to Venezuela by the US (http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/early_day_motions_mcdonnell050706.htm)

Hands Off Venezuela was also organising a trade union delegation to the UNT conference which was scheduled to take place in Caracas at the end of July, but we have now been told by the national coordination of the UNT that the congress is postponed until later on in September.

The next step of the campaign is to try to get the issue raised at the TUC congress in Britain. We have drafted a proposed motion which is based on the wording of resolutions passed at AMICUS, NUJ and NATFHE conferences. We have discussed this with Jeremy Dear and John McDonnell and we are working to get it moved at the TUC.

Both Anastacio Rodriguez
(http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/hov_meeting_london_solidarity160605.htm) and Ruben Linares
(http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/interview_ruben_linares_unt060705.htm), the UNT representatives who have been in Britain in the last few weeks, have met with the TUC International Department, and in the case of Anastacio also briefly with Frances O’Grady. The meetings were productive and we think that TUC opinion is moving more and more towards establishing some links with the UNT (though maybe not yet recognising it officially).

Two of the national coordinators of the UNT, Marcela Maspero and Orlando Chirino, have confirmed that they will be present at the TUC, and we are now working to get official invitations for them. We have already booked a room for a fringe meeting at the TUC on Monday, September 12th. This will be a great opportunity to get the issue discussed and to have conversations with as many delegations and individual trade unionists as possible.