Venezuela: Social Partners Presented a Bipartite Manifesto for “Productive and Decent Work and Social Justice”

Venezuelan social partners presented a landmark declaration.
They called for the adoption of urgent measures to restore decent living conditions, decent work, and stimulate the economy.
Through virtual meetings, social partners will present concrete actions deriving from the Manifesto.

The Venezuelan most representative Confederation of Employers’, FEDECAMARAS, and independent national trade unions committed to work together to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the long-term economic and social crisis that is endangering its production and economy.

In the Manifesto signed on 29 May 2020, they engaged to:

promote the adoption of urgent measures to restore decent living conditions, decent work, fair wages, adequate social protection and equal opportunities;
promote measures to sustain and increase sources of employment and to stimulate the economy;
protect workers in the workplace;
make use of social dialogue;
put in place a plan for safely going back to work, etc.

Finally, the Manifesto demands for an “immediate change in the political, economic and social model of the country”, based on the effective participation of all actors of society, and makes a call for national unity and dialogue to develop an agreement on the necessary structural reforms for a “democratic, productive, entrepreneurial, modern and competitive” country with political, social and economic stability and social justice.

The Manifesto arises within the framework of the permanent bipartite dialogue since the signature of the joint Declaration of Cúcuta, on 4^th October 2013. With this Declaration, social partners promote inclusive social dialogue and the negotiation of agreements with the aim of reaching higher levels of decent work in the country, promoting equal opportunities and creating a way forward to address issues such as training and empowerment of workers, productive and social development, social security, improvement of living and working conditions, overcoming high levels of labour conflict and reducing informality. Since then, social partners have been developing joint initiatives and strategies for improving working conditions in the country for years.

Today, the Manifesto is an expression of great historical relevance to highlight the need for structural reforms that would advance Venezuela towards its sustainable development and economic growth. To follow-up the declaration, the signatories’ organisations will be presenting, through virtual meetings, concrete actions and solutions on health, economic growth and welfare.