CVG workers received fractional payment of profits for the sixth consecutive year

As has been done for five years, this 2024 the workers of basic companies of Guyana (CVG) will receive payment of profits in fractionsthus violating the provisions of article 131 of the Organic Law of Labor, Men and Women Workers (Lottt), regulations in which this benefit is contemplated as a total payment.

In the afternoon of this October 10, The workers reported that the first fraction of 25% was canceledthe amount of which varied depending on the status of the worker: for active workers the amount was between 50 and 70 dollars; Those who are not required earned from 15 to 40 dollars, and retired personnel received amounts of between 8 and 10 dollars.

This was made known by workers interviewed by this medium, who alleged that with this income one cannot speak of “happy Christmases”, since this is only enough to purchase food and is totally far from what profits represented a few decades ago.

This benefit brought the “smell of Christmas” to the homes of all the workers, who could paint, buy appliances and purchase Christmas releases with this benefit that, currently, represents just payment of debts and making a market.

“The payment was made yesterday. The amounts were 300 bolivars for retirees and pensioners. For assets it was 900 to 2,000 bolivars, between 40 to 50 dollars. This happens because our salary has been stagnant since 2022 and profits are paid at a full 120-day salary. Those of us who are outside have a poor salary. The amount is less than last year, let us remember that last year when you made the comparison with 2022, you were receiving around 100 dollars less as a result of inflation. This form of payment in three or four parts, as a result of the devaluation, ends up losing the worker. The law establishes that a single payment should be received,” declared Jonis Luna, a worker who remains “not required” at the Orinoco Steel Company (Sidor).

Caroní Mail interviewed retired, non-required and active workers of the CVG, managing to confirm that these were the amounts received by the employees, who assured that they will use it, for the most part, to complement food and health expenses.

“We retirees come out exhausted. It’s 25%. It was confirmed that they paid the chucutas utilities like this, the old people we charged were 7 or 8 dollars. Yesterday I received 371 bolivars, which is about 8 dollars. There have been many comments on the networks and WhatsApp groups, some say they will give more, I can’t buy anything with that. 8 dollars is not enough for me at all. In previous years, one expected the payment of profits to be a single portion. Now they have been in four parts for years. One bought clothes for one’s wife, one’s children, one went out for walks. But now nothing can be done, we are receiving less than last year,” said Hipólito Cedeño, retired from the state steel company.

Every year less income for CVG workers

According to article 434 of the Lottt, labor benefits must be progressive. That is, conditions that are less favorable for workers than those contained in current contracts cannot be agreed upon.

However, according to the statements and analysis made by different labor groups, the benefits have been decreasing, since each year they are more pulverized by inflation, which translates into amounts with less purchasing power.

The Grassroots Workers Parliament labor group calculated that in the year 2023, the first fraction of which was an amount of 50 dollars for non-required workers, the workers received 143 dollars less than in the previous period, in which the first fraction was 193 dollars. .

“If in 2022 the 120 days had been paid in a single payment, we would have received an amount of 6,499 bolivars, equivalent to 775 dollars. If they had paid it in full this year, the amount of 7,000,027 bolivars would have been received, equivalent to 201 dollars, considering the exchange rate of 34.8 bolivars. We would have a loss of $573.63. A devaluation of 26.94% compared to 2022,” the organization explained then.

The general secretary of the Venezuelan Briquetera union, Isnaldo Rodríguez, considered that The payment is “a mockery” for workers who will not be able to meet their expenses with this income.

“It is a payment that is not suitable for the workers of Guyana. The payment and the methodology with which it is being paid are insufficient. We reject the installment payment and the ridiculous amount that was paid yesterday. In the afternoon very different amounts were paid, in the Venezuelan Briquetera, the amounts were from 30 to 70 dollars. The most he charged was $85. Those not required charged between 25 to 30 dollars. We reject this deterioration. Since 2018, we do not have a payment list and, obviously, the formulation of payment of utilities was eliminated. Until today’s sun, they have ignored that. It eliminated our benefits and disadvantaged the entire working class of Guyana. Today I took a tour of the San Félix market and it was full of workers buying food. The profits are to alleviate the months of November and December when, therefore, more is spent due to the Christmas festivities for clothes, hallacas, and Christmas arrangements. Now it is to eat because the salary is no longer enough. It is a slap in the face for the workers of Guyana. That thing about happy Christmases and stability is totally false. What we have here is sadness,” Rodríguez lamented.

Workers not required by CVG will file a claim with the Labor Inspectorate

The Sidorista worker Armando Simosa, who led a protest to demand a better calculation of profits for “not required” personnel, confirmed that this Monday They will file a claim with the Alfredo Maneiro Labor Inspectorate, to claim the low amounts that were earned by those who are in this condition.

“CVG workers who are deactivated were paid between 15 and 20 dollars, while the active workers received about 2,600 bolivars (70 dollars). We have already made a call for all workers to submit a document to the inspectorate. We want to declare ourselves totally in disagreement with that payment. What are we going to buy with that? A chicken is around 500 bolivars. With this 25% that the national government has just paid, which we already know will be paid in three parts, what are we going to buy. For five years now there has been no talk of buying clothes, because a chicken costs 500 bolivars, a kilo of cheese costs 200 bolivars, there are already 700 bolivars and two flour bread. That’s what you buy with those 20 dollars. A pair of pants costs 30 or 35 dollars. What can we do with this fraction?” denounced Simosa.

By October 2023, the Bolivarian Socialist Workers’ Central, openly pro-government, spoke out against this form of payment with the spokesperson of its president, Pedro Perales, who rejected the splitting of the amount.

“The profits are the product of the effort and recovery that the working class has made of our basic companies. In some companies, 25% of amounts that we do not accept are already being canceled. There is a contractual clause for payment of utilities that says that workers must be paid a minimum of 120 days. We already mention: the bonuses that are being canceled from us in the law say that they are salaries and we demand that they become part of the basis for calculating our benefits,” the union leader declared then.

However, so far, the center has not commented on the methodology nor has it offered statements to the media about the situation in 2024.