Unions demanded that authorities calculate year-end bonuses based on total compensation, pay benefits to active and retired employees, and negotiate new salary scales. They warned that workers could shut down healthcare facilities if authorities fail to respond.
The Daily Journal.- Labor unions representing Venezuela’s healthcare and education sectors submitted more than 40,000 signatures at Miraflores Palace in Caracas on Tuesday, demanding higher incomes for public sector workers and respect for their labor rights amid the deterioration of the minimum wage and the government’s growing reliance on bonuses as a form of compensation.
Union representatives led the demonstration and submitted a document outlining their wage and labor demands. One of their main requests calls for authorities to calculate year-end bonuses based on workers’ total monthly compensation rather than limiting payments to the bonuses that public employees currently receive.
Workers also demanded immediate payment of the professional responsibility bonus for technical and manual workers in the healthcare and education sectors, including active employees and retirees. They also called for negotiations on new salary scales with union participation.
Ana María Velásquez, president of the Federation of National Nursing Associations, demanded wage recovery, a review of year-end bonus calculations, extending professional benefits to retirees, and double compensation for employees who hold two positions. She also called for greater transparency in public sector payroll procedures.
Meanwhile, Carmen Teresa Márquez, president of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers, demanded higher incomes for educators, equalization of the professional development bonus for retirees, and recognition of benefits for teaching staff. She also criticized the lack of meetings between education authorities and labor unions to negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
Photo: Oswaldo Rivero
Opposition to bonus-based compensation
Demonstrators criticized the bonus-based compensation policy that the government has implemented in recent years. According to information released during the demonstration, two year-end bonus payments total $240, with workers receiving the equivalent amount in bolívares at the official exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV).
The demands reflect the declining purchasing power of workers’ incomes. Venezuela’s legal minimum wage has remained at 130 bolívares per month since March 2022 and serves as a benchmark for various public sector salary scales.
Unions argue that the heavy reliance on bonuses undermines wage recovery and cannot replace salary-related benefits. They therefore demand sufficient compensation to cover the basic needs of workers and their families.
In August, a Venezuelan family of five needed $755.36 to cover food expenses, according to calculations that the Center for Documentation and Social Analysis of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers (Cendas-FVM) released in September.
Photo: Oswaldo Rivero
Unions warn of possible work stoppages
Pablo Zambrano, executive secretary of FETRASALUD, called for unity around labor demands regardless of political differences and criticized the authorities’ failure to provide concrete responses. He also expressed concern about potential legal changes that, in his view, could undermine workers’ acquired rights, including the retroactive calculation of severance benefits.
Meanwhile, Mauro Zambrano, coordinator of the Venezuelan Trade Union Network and Monitor Salud, warned that workers could organize a work stoppage at public healthcare facilities if the government fails to address their wage demands.
“If they don’t listen to us, we will go on strike,” the union leader said during the demonstration.
The march began on Universidad Avenue in downtown Caracas, but demonstrators had to change their route after officers from the Bolivarian National Police blocked several roads. Three workers’ representatives continued to the presidential palace to deliver the document and signatures.
