Venezuelan Government to Incorporate Worker’s Proposals to Overcome Electricity Crisis

Caracas, March 18, 2010 (ABN)  – Venezuelan vice-president, Elias Jaua, announced a plan on Wednesday to receive proposals by workers in the electrical sector, in order to address the first phase of restructuring and strengthening the national electricity system and a plan of action to overcome the crisis in the sector.

The schedule begins with a phase of assemblies and meetings and consultation promoted by union leaders and worker’s spokespeople around the country, from March 18 until March 26, to compile both strategic and short term proposals.

From March 27 to 31 the discussions and proposals will be compiled and systematized to convert them into general guidelines and specific plans.

Finally, from April 5 to 7, the National Executive will organising working groups in Caracas which will produce the final documents, as Jaua said, “to address the first phase of the restructuring of the national electricity system, speaking from a structural point of view, and the increase, acceleration and relaunch of measures that allow us to finally overcome the electricity emergency that we are experiencing because of the climatic situation.”

In a press conference together with workers and the electricity minister, Ali Rodriguez Araque, the vice-president explained that the Bolivarian government has announced this comprehensive process to ensure that all electrical sector workers can express their views in terms of their contributions, solutions and experiences in order to consolidate the stabilization of electricity supply in the midst of the emergency.

“President Chavez wants the workers become the protagonistic subjects to provide Venezuela with a reliable, long term and permanent electricity system for the people, through the establishment of socialist enterprises, with the decisive and active participation of workers in the national electricity sector,” he said.

He ratified that the head of state has confidence in the men and women who [work in the sector] and have responded to the national electricity emergency.

“President Chavez counts on these men and women throughout the country who are making efforts so that our people experience the most minimal impact during the electrical emergency. We count on them to assure the country that there will be no collapse or blackout. We are carrying forward a battle and the principle force is the workers,” he said.

Jaua said that the Bolivarian government has also heard serious and responsible opinions from academics and the private sector to solve the situation in the electricity sector due to low water levels in the main energy source in the country, the Guri Hydroelectric Dam, as a result of the drought caused by El Niño.

In early February this year, President Hugo Chávez decreed the national electricity emergency to deal with the situation of the country’s hydroelectric generators, given the prolonged drought.

The Guri Dam is estimated to provide about 70% of the electricity consumed in Venezuela.

Translated by Kiraz Janicke, for Venezuelanalysis.com