Hundreds of workers, union members, teachers, retirees and students gather early this Thursday in Plaza Venezuela to march towards the Miraflores Palace, demanding a decent wage and rejecting the announcement of a “responsible increase” made by the president in charge Delcy Rodríguez.
The mobilization, called by the National Trade Union Coalition and various unions, began around 9:00 am this Thursday, April 9, with the central slogan: “Living wage now!”
The protesters consider the salary adjustment announced for May 1 to be insufficient and imprecise, since Delcy Rodríguez did not reveal the amount of the increase or a specific date of effective implementation.
“The salary has no political color. We are here demanding answers from the Rodríguez brothers,” said José Patines, union leader of the Foreign Ministry and one of the main spokespersons for the march, in statements to the media covering the mobilization.
Workers denounce that the current minimum wage is around 130 bolivars (less than a dollar), which has turned income into “starvation wages” after four years frozen.
This Wednesday, in a message to the nation, Rodríguez acknowledged “his own mistakes of the past” and promised a “responsible increase” in salaries starting May 1, accompanied by the creation of a commission for labor dialogue. However, the announcement was received with skepticism by labor sectors, which interpreted it as a maneuver to demobilize the protest.
In parallel, Chavismo, through Diosdado Cabello, called for an official march for this same day, with the argument of commemorating the 20 years of the Communal Councils Law and “defending peace.”
Police forces have installed barricades on the access roads to the center of the capital and since early in the morning the surroundings of the Miraflores Presidential Palace have been heavily guarded by security forces.
The organizers claimed to have complied with all permits and warned that they will maintain pressure until they obtain concrete answers about salaries, social benefits and respect for labor rights.
So far, the march is advancing through the main avenues of downtown Caracas towards Miraflores, where the protesters hope to be received or at least obtain an official statement. Today’s protest marks a new chapter in the growing labor unrest that has been escalating in recent weeks in Venezuela.
In development…
