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Analysis: Labor and Workers' Control

Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution: Legacy and Challenges

An image of Hugo Chavez at a recent memorial event in Mérida, Venezuela (Ewan Robertson /Venezuelanalysis.com)

The death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has prompted the international left to acknowledge two key features about him and Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution, writes Manuel Larrabure.

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The Revolution Will Not Be Decreed: An interview with Gonzalo Gómez

Gonzalo Gómez and Jeffery R. Webber (socialistproject)

In this interview, Gonzalo describes his own path to militancy, the different phases of the Bolivarian process, and the dangers of bureaucracy, the “boli-bourgeoisie,” and the stultifying internal life of the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (United Socialist Party of Venezuela, PSUV).

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On the Ferrominera Elections: Defeat of Bureaucratic and Pro-Boss Trade Unionism

Ruben Gonzalez upon winning the union elections in Ferrominera del Orinoco (El Universal)

The defeat of the official United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidate in recent trade union elections in state company Ferrominera has generated great media interest in Venezuela in light of the upcoming presidential elections. Roberto Lopez Sanchez of Socialist Tide, a radical current within the PSUV, gives his view as to the current situation in the Venezuelan labour movement.

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Revolutionary Democracy in the Economy? Venezuela’s Worker Control Movement and the Plan Socialist Guayana

An outdoor worker assembly in Alcasa, August 2011 (Prensa Alcasa)

In this in-depth investigative analysis, Ewan Robertson evaluates the advances and setbacks of the worker control movement in Venezuela, and what Venezuela's experience in worker control means for the Bolivarian revolution and movements for radical social change worldwide.

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Chapter by Chapter Summary of Venezuela’s New Labour Law

Venezuelanalysis.com brings readers this detailed, chapter by chapter summary of the new Organic Law of Work and Workers (LOTTT), a law which has been under discussion in both the national assembly and by workers and movements since 2003.  The law contains 554 articles.

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Interview: Stalin Perez Borges: “A Referendum is Necessary so the Working People Can Approve the New Labour Law”

We conducted this interview in order to convey the opinion of Stalin Perez Borges, national coordinator of Marea Socialista [Socialist Tide] in relation to the creation of the new labour law and unity within the union movement.

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A Multiple Socialist Administration Model and Enterprises of Social Property (ESP) in Venezuela - Success, Difficulties, Prospects

Based on the analysis of the historic experience of what we call the Soviet mode of production – to differentiate it from the socialist mode of production theoretically formulated by Marx, Engels, and Lenin – we here analyze the experience of Venezuela, its process of recuperation of national sovereignty during the government of President Chávez since 1999 and the road traversed with the construction of the material and cultural bases of socialism since his reelection in December 2006 when the chief of state declared socialism as the path of development and the strategic objective to be obtained.

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Workers’ Control, Challenges and the Revolutionary Government: An Interview with Elio Sayago, President of CVG Alcasa

Elio Sayago, Worker-President of CVG Alcasa (Aporrea)

In this important interview, Worker-President of aliminium factory CVG Alcasa, Elio Sayago, details the history of workers' control at the plant, the attempts made by government bureaucrats and politicians to sabotage the workers' control project there, as well as the workers attempts to consruct a post-capitalist order through changing the social relations of production.

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Venezuelan Government Incorporates 1,723 Subcontracted Workers into Sidor, Nationalises Companies

Subcontracted Sidor workers greeted the announcement with jubilation (AVN)

A further 1,723 subcontracted workers are to be incorporated onto the state payroll in Venezuela´s nationalised steel plant Sidor, Venezuelan Vice-president Elias Jaua announced on Friday. He further confirmed that two other companies, Grafitos del Orinoco and Sidetur, will be nationalised by the end of the year. 

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Praxis, Learning, and New Cooperativism in Venezuela: An Initial Look at Venezuela’s Socialist Production Units

In this paper, I address the question as to the extent to which the participatory and democratic processes taking place as part of Venezuela's new cooperative movement can be said to be a component for the building of social relations that challenge those of capitalism.

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An Initial Assessment of the Trade Union Elections at SIDOR

SIDOR workers, independently of which revolutionary candidates they prefer, are clearly revolutionary and opposed to any opposition current. Furthermore, the recent union vote shows a huge level of support for the nationalisation of the plant, which has been under state control since the heroic struggle in 2008.

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The Criminalisation of the Popular Struggle: An Interview with Félix Martínez

In this interview, Martínez discusses the recently formed "Committee Against the Criminalisation of the Popular Struggle", in reference to the attacks and murders carried out against social activists, often with impunity.

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Revolutionary Vignettes. Part 2: Venezuelan Workers' Councils Sabotaged by Bureaucracy

In the second part of Revolutionary Vignettes, José Martín discusses bureaucracy as an obstacle to the advancement of the worker's control movement, particularly within state oil company PDVSA.

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Venezuela: Translating the Revolution - Socialism and Voluntary Labour

The following is an article from the Socialist Debate website about the role of voluntary labour in Venezuela's housing construction program, Mision Vivienda, launched in April this year to address the shortage of housing in Venezuela. It discusses the significance of voluntary labour in the transition to socialism.

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Building Socialism through People’s Economic Participation in Venezuela

In this analysis published by Philippines-based Bulatlat.com, writer Ina Alleco R. Silverio shares ideas with Venezuelan educator and activist Alexis Adarfio on the Venezuelan people's struggle against imperialism and for economic and political sovereignty.

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