Solidarity Appeal: Attack on trade union rights at Venezuela’s National Philharmonic Orchestra

We received this solidarity appeal from the Union of Workers of the National Philharmonic Orchestra. These workers are appealing to all workers' organisations to support these comrades and the demand that this state musical institution follow policies in agreement with the revolutionary policies as stated by President Chavez, who has insisted that the Bolivarian government cannot accept any attacks on workers’ rights. At the end of September the Executive Committee of the Union of Workers of the National Philharmonic Orchestra (SUMTRAFOFN ) reported to the workers of the FOFN (Fundación Orquesta Filarmónica Nacional – the National Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation), which is linked to the Ministry of Culture, that they were in the last stages of preparing the draft Collective Bargaining Agreement. Upon completion of the draft, it was to be presented to the workers for discussion and to begin negotiations with the Foundation. Shortly after this announcement was made, the authorities of the Foundation announced a number of measures against the leaders and members of the union, as well as against the acquired rights of the workers.

We appeal to all organizations, for manual and intellectual workers, as well as to all revolutionary organizations to support these comrades and demand that this state musical institution follow policies in agreement with the revolutionary policies as stated by President Chavez, who has insisted that the Bolivarian government cannot accept any attacks on workers’ rights.

See also the Model resolution in Spanish


Model Resolution:

We the undersigned express our solidarity with the workers of the National Philharmonic Orchestra, and in particular with those workers organized in their union, SUMTRAFOFN. Faced with the fact that several members of the Board of Directors of the FOFN, particularly its President Jaime Martinez, do not recognize the legally constituted union and have announced a number of measures against the members and leaders of the union and against acquired rights of the workers, we demand:


1) No changes in the structures of the FOFN without the participation of its workers. Immediate negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement as presented by SUMTRAFOFN.

2) No attacks on the acquired rights and conditions of the workers of the FOFN: the revolution will advance with the workers, never against them.

3) Recognition of SUMTRAFOFN as a genuine representative of FOFN workers. No measures against its elected leading members.

4) Stop all attacks against Alba Quintanilla, Egon Albrecht and Hermann Albrecht.

5) Recognition of Hermann Albrecht as the democratically elected Labour Director of the FOFN.

6) The Ministry of Labour must intervene and ensure respect for trade union rights in the FOFN.


Send messages of protest to:

Orquesta Filarmónica

ofilarmonica@gmail.com, ofilarmonica@cantv.net

Ministerio de la Cultura

Fax: 58-212-4829879 / 58-212-4820685


CONAC

presidencia@conac.gov.ve, directorgeneral@conac.gov.ve, directorio@conac.gov.ve, asisdirgen@conac.gov.ve, musica@conac.gov.ve, consul_juridica@conac.gov.ve

MinTra

dgtrabajo@mintra.gov.ve, despachoministerio@mintra.gov.ve, despachovice@mintra.gov.ve

Presidencia

mensajes@alopresidente.com.ve

Vicepresidencia

ciudadano@vicepresidencia.gov.ve


All with BCC copy to sumtrafofn@yahoo.es and venezuela@elmilitante.org