ULA Trujillo workers: “We have had years without bonuses”

Workers and defenders of labor rights belonging to the University of Los Andes (ULA)Rafael Rangel core from Trujillo, made up of active and retired employees, presented an assessment of the situation faced by university employees in Venezuela.

At a press conference, Osmar Alejandro Fernández, organizational secretary of Siprula; Olegario De la Cruz, general secretary in charge of Siprula Trujillo; and Leonardo Hernández, delegate of Siprula, Rafael Rangel university nucleus of Trujillo, highlighted the urgency to establish a living wage.

Union members warned that the absence of a living wage implies excessive costs for workers and retirees, who find themselves in the need to look for additional sources of income to survive; in addition to bearing considerable expenses related to transportation to their workplaces, which are around 0.5 cents per day.

They propose establishing a defined starting salary of around $200according to a press release released.

Working conditions

“It is essential to highlight the difficult conditions that impact the Rafael Rangel University Center of the Trujillo state of the ULA, a result of budgetary shortages, which has generated a notable deterioration and abandonment of spaces previously occupied by students,” declared Osmar Alejandro Fernández.

For his part, Olegario De la Cruz highlighted the importance of addressing issues such as precarious working conditionsas well as the release of detained university students; and improve fundamental aspects such as health, salary, pensions and quality of life.

They emphasized that it is imperative adopt effective actions to restore the labor rights of university workersgranting them a living wage in accordance with both their work responsibilities and their basic requirements for a decent life.

The spokespersons agreed with the concerns expressed by Dionis Dávila, general secretary of Siprula and president of Fenasipruv, who considers that it is a blow to the workers to receive a bonus in three payments.

Deposits range from Bs. 1,200, equivalent to $25, to Bs. 2,400, approximately $55. «This is called mockery and deception. For several years now, university workers do not know what a bonus isbecause this is anchored to 120 days of a salary of 130 bolivars. Unfortunately, it seems that the Venezuelan State’s intention is to wipe out all workers and university professors, as well as public employees and in this way that everyone continues to survive as they can,” they denounced in a press release.