University Workers Demand Compliance with Venezuela's New Labor Law

By CORREO DEL ORINOCO INTERNATIONAL

We reprint this report as we follow the implimentation of Venezuela`s new labour law, a story we first covered in May.

The Andean city of Merida has been rocked over the past week by a number of worker-led protests as sub-contracted employees from the University of the Andes (ULA) demanded that they be made permanent staff in compliance with Venezuela’s new labor law.

The protests began last week and have focused on the ULA’s conservative administration, headed by Rector Mario Bonucci, who has refused to incorporate more than 1,400 subcontracted employees into full-time positions.

“We’re in the streets demanding permanent positions and respect of the labor law.  We are the ones affected and we won’t accept more ridicule from the university authorities”, said Mario Chacon, General Secretary of the workers’ union Soula.

Merida, a city of approximately  300,000  residents,  is  dominated both socially and economically by the public university - the second largest in Venezuela with more than 40,000 enrolled students.

Push back the bigots!

Poster by the Young Communists of Spain

EXTEND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY!

Pride 2012 statement from the Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League

     Pride 2012 events across Canada this summer will celebrate impressive achievements by the LGBTQ communities and their allies. The Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League send warmest greetings and solidarity to Pride participants, and to the ongoing struggles for full equality. But this is also a time to push back against the bigots and right‑wing politicians who want to roll back our gains. The corporate‑driven "austerity" cuts to social programs and education have the sharpest negative impact on the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ community, including trans, two‑spirited, racialized queers and young people. The cuts heavily impact women, Aboriginal peoples, and racialized groups, and make it far more difficult to implement significant advances towards equality.

Other voices: an different point of view on Canada day

Canada has “no history of colonialism” Prime Minister Steven Harper, pictured above, once gaffed 

White people, here’s your one-time Canada Day special: Native people apologize back!

DREW HAYDEN TAYLOR
Reprinted from the Globe and Mail


Canada Day has always been a mixed bag for Canada’s native people. It makes us think of many things: patriotism, flags, sunburned cottagers, barbeques and exploding fireworks. That’s the good stuff.

Since then, much has been said and written about that apology: Did it go far enough? Too little too late? What’s next? That is something I am afraid only educated, wealthy white men in positions of power can decide.

However, some in the native community feel that perhaps we are being a little lax in not issuing an apology of our own.

We are not without some culpability. In the centuries that have passed since that fateful day of contact, we ourselves have been negligent and irresponsible in not acknowledging our liability in many regretful incidents and events in the past.

So in the spirit of cooperation, I would like to offer up these apologies to the people of Canada on behalf of the NAFNIP (native/aboriginal/first nations/indigenous people):