Posted on 03/24/2002 1:51:13 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Venezuela: Labor Strife of a Different Collar - Pdvsa--[Excerpt] CARACAS, Venezuela, March 18 - Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. may be state owned, but it is known internationally as efficient and well managed, even cutting edge. The company, one of the world's largest oil producers, has also long attracted the brightest minds in Venezuela to its singular task: producing the huge amounts of oil that motor this country.
Now, however, the behemoth, with $20 billion a year in oil sales and 40,000 employees, is in turmoil.
Its white-collar workers are locked in a bitter feud with the government of President Hugo Chávez, whose firing of the company president last month precipitated a rousing, public quarrel that has dominated the local headlines, caused a work slowdown and threatens to spill into a full- fledged strike. Such an event would be calamitous for a country where oil accounts for 80 percent of exports, most of it bound for the United States.
"This is a tragedy," said Luis Giusti, a former company president and now senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "It is inconceivable that in this company people would go out and protest. They would have been fired right away. But this is a crisis situation." [End Excerpt]
Chavez baits and pits people against one another to seize power. Not much different than the Jesse Jackson's, Mugabe's and Bill Clinton's of the world.
In the meantime the economy keeps growing , inflation is down production and spending are up. ,p> The problems are grave though, like the security situation and crime .The political instability caused by the media blitz on Chavez is undermining the country abroad .Chavez isn't helping with his big mouth as well
The economy is tanking, inflation is up and Chavez keeps stoking the fires of hate for the purpose of keeping the spotlight off his deplorable mess.
Here is the funny part . I feel that the only thing Chavez can do is the only thing he must not do for his own sake and it is a bitter pill that no Venezuelan leader has the courage to take .
Let him do it!! Let's see his stripes. He can follow President Vicente Fox's example in Mexico.
In the meantime Chavez is playing with the bad deck of cards he has been dealt when he went got elected and we'll see to where it goes from here.
He's shuffled and reshuffled his leadership, making it more and more restrictive, owing allegiance to him and his growing control of government. He asked to play in this game. He had a failed coup then lied his way into office and has been going full steam, taking the train toward a communist "paradise."
What has Hugo Chavez done for the poor but use them as drones by inciting them to violence for the purpose of intimidating his opposition?
Thank you for a good laugh.
You know nothing about me.
I see you haven't, I guess can't is more appropriate, told me what Hugo Chavez has done for the poor.
You really should try to ignore that bonehead. I couldn't get him to answer my questions about his hero, arafat, so I'm not surprised that he ignored your points. Don't let it frustrate you, that's the way the bolsheviks are.
Keep up the good works!
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