Venezuelan Electrical Workers Denounce "Degrading" Wages Amid Infrastructure Collapse

Venezuelan electrical sector workers have publicly denounced "degrading" salaries and the critical state of national energy infrastructure. The unions' pronouncements come amid strategic bilateral agreements between Venezuela and the United States aimed at stabilizing the country's electricity supply.

Labor leaders formally requested inclusion in financing plans stemming from the U.S. accords and in parliamentary discussions for reforming the Organic Law of the Electric System and Services. This reform seeks to open the sector to private capital and investment, a significant shift for an industry traditionally dominated by the state.

Alexis Rodríguez, general secretary of the electrical union in Miranda state, described the current socioeconomic conditions for workers as "too worrying." He stated that base salaries hover around two dollars per month, with additional bonuses lacking impact on benefits or collective agreements. Rodríguez called the situation a "generalized crisis that does not allow workers to subsist with dignity" and urged authorities to establish a working group immediately.

Rodríguez emphasized that the industry's operational capacity is at its limit due to administrative neglect. He announced a third formal communication to the Minister of Electric Energy, Rolando Alcalá, after receiving no response to previous documents submitted in February and April. The union bloc warned that if institutional silence continues, they will not rule out "more forceful actions" permitted by law.

Oswaldo Méndez, general secretary of the union in Lara state, expressed deep discontent, noting that technicians and engineers feel marginalized from bilateral announcements involving local delegates and North American corporations. Méndez questioned the lack of transparency in these agreements.

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The recovery of the sector passes first through an agreement with the union leadership and its workers because we want to make the necessary contributions to improve the industry, (…) we have degrading salaries, we have a situation with retired, pensioned, and survivor workers (…) who are not subsisting with dignity.