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http://www.marxist.com/workers-control-inveval-example311007.htm
Chavez - "Inveval - An Example to Follow"
By Antonio Betancourt and Pablo Cormenzana
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Venezuela's experiments with workers' co-management and in some instances
workers' control, are at the cutting edge of the global movement against
capitalism. With the bosses' lockout in 2002-2003, which shut down much of the
Venezuelan economy for a period of two months, hundreds of factories were
closed down and workers turned out onto the streets to fend for themselves.
However, workers have stepped up to the challenge and it is estimated that some
1,200 factories have been taken over and occupied after being shut down. In
2005 the Chavez government initiated a series of decrees to allow for
expropriation of industry and workers' co-management in the interests of
'public utility.' Inveval is a valve manufacturing company that has been under
workers' control since April 2005, Here activists discuss their struggle,
their history, their experience of workers' control, the challenges they face
and the broader question of how workers work out strategy to transform
Venezuelan society in the struggle for 'Socialism in the 21st Century'.
Meetings between the state sector, president Chávez and the Commission for
Economic Planning began last April. The aim was to follow up the different
enterprises of social production, such as INVEVAL. The balance of the meeting
was good for the workers of the valve factory; it has allowed them to directly
inform the president about the production problems the factory faces - problems
mainly generated by the lack of support provided by the government bureaucracy.
The ineptitude and lack of revolutionary commitment of a sector of the oil
bureaucracy was exposed.
Six months has passed since the first meeting at Presidential Palace Miraflores
with President Chavez and the Planning Commission. This time around the
concerns of the comrades at INVEVAL had grown bigger, because the productive
situation at the factory had not improved much and the support promised by the
bureaucracy, following Chávez's instructions, had not materialised either.
Prior to the meeting at Miraflores, the comrades were informed of the items on
agenda: the question of the socialist enterprise, the nature of ownership and
social character of the socialist enterprises, the role of the workers in the
revolution, the wage scale in INVEVAL, the growth in the number of workers at
INVEVAL, the price of the valves, the distribution system, production costs, as
well as the relation between income and expenses and the production curve.
The meeting with President Chávez, the ministers and the Planning Commission
began late in the evening. Firstly, the President highlighted the revision and
the increase in the national budget due to the need to develop the country
economically, politically and socially, which requires a greater effort. He
announced, in that sense, that he had sent the "nation's first socialist plan"
to the National Assembly. He said that socialism must be built with
decisiveness, to go from capitalist anarchy to the centralised planning of the
economy, to later define what model of socialism will be followed. For this,
three fundamental categories must be considered:
1) The concept or category of property, in this sense the property must be
social and must not be confused with cooperatives, as these do not yet have a
genuine socialised character; social property has two forms: direct, when it is
exercised by the people, and indirect, when it is exercised by the State in
representation of the people.
2) Distribution. Goods and services cannot be considered commodities only for
those who can afford them. Distribution should be based on a permanent exchange
to meet the needs of society.
3) Consumption. A productive economy is necessary to improve the quality of
life of the people.
After this introduction, president Chávez went onto review the situation faced
by the different companies of social production. A series of inefficiencies
came out, above all in the area of milk processing, which is of extreme
importance at this moment in time due to the lack of milk products in shops and
markets. The workers pointed out that the main reason for this was because the
national producers refuse to supply the processing plants. Chávez's response
came straight away: "without conflict it is impossible to change the world.
Strong measures must be taken against capitalism; quick action. If you have the
government then what is preventing us from sorting out the problem? I want you
to present me with an expropriation decree for the five or ten most reactionary
milk producers. Let us occupy their lands with the army; if they use violence
then we will confront them."
An example to follow
When the turn came for our comrades at INVEVAL, Chávez focused his questions on
the political plane saying that now this is more important than productive
matters. He was interested in knowing how the wage scale works at the company;
it had emerged during the meeting that in the other companies the wages of the
workers depended on their position within the company. The comrades explained
that at INVEVAL all workers, from the president to the people who clean the
toilets, receive the same wage. Chávez ask for a round of applause saying: "you
have truly understood the object of this process".
He also congratulated them for the way the company is being run by the factory
council and, again, pointed out that they were the only ones to understand how
things must be done, stating that they should be an example for the rest of the
enterprises; that their experience must be publicised because that is how the
socialist enterprises should be run.
After that, he added that INVEVAL was going to be 100% state property, though
it would be kept under workers' control through the factory council, as it has
been running so far. He said that the workers must be the vanguard of the
revolution and that the enterprises must be points of leadership in the search
for solutions in conjunction with the communities; they should be constituted
as command centres for the surrounding communities (Communal Councils, Student
Councils, etc.)
Finally, Chávez mentioned a few last things.
a) a percentage of production should be allocated for the areas in greater
need, through decree or a different mechanism;
b) if the bureaucracy becomes a hindrance, decisions should be taken in
assemblies, written down and acted upon;
c) Workshops on management methods must be put in place, as well as appraisals
and reports;
d) Setting up of productive "battalions" to control the land and its
production;
e) Political debates, consciousness, egalitarian wages and salaries, social
security fund, all in an enabling law;
f) setting up of workers' militias in every factory;
g) In addition to producing goods and services, it is necessary to produce a
"new man". After this, he congratulated them all again and told them that he
would like to film an episode of Aló Presidente (his weekly TV programme) at
INVEVAL soon.
Many conclusions can be drawn from this, but perhaps, the most important one is
found in the correctness of our appraisal of President Chávez and the
Bolivarian revolution, Even at moments when Chávez seems to shift to the right
(probably under the influence of the reformists that surround him) he is still
very sensitive to the reactions of the people, in this case, from the workers;
if these reactions are positive he is prepared to advance and correct course
straight away. Chávez is an honest man who, like the Venezuelan masses, is
seeking ideas for the revolution and a path that would lead us out of what none
of us want; capitalism.
Unfortunately, Chávez is not a Marxist, as we have noted several times
previously. However, it is undeniable, as this meeting clearly demonstrates,
that upon seeing, through the experience at INVEVAL, an example of what the
workers can achieve, he takes a hold of this with both hands and goes back to
speaking about workers' control - but this time from a more left-wing position,
accepting the comrades' argument for a 100% nationalisation and putting aside
the cooperative model, which has been the banner of the bureaucrats and
reformists.
In this sense, the intervention of the INVEVAL comrades was very timely;
because if it had not been delivered in the way it was, it is quite likely that
a good part of the process involving factories under co-management would have
failed or, at least, it would have been completely distorted.
The comrades presented the real face of the workers movement before Chávez. The
comrades left a very positive impression on President Chávez, in contrast to
the daily spectacle of the UNT trade union federation leader, Orlando Chirino
and co., along with the co-management enterprises set up by the bureaucracy.
Besides, they left the impression that they are serious people, with serious
ideas and a correct method of building.
Another lesson that can be drawn from this is that even a small organisation
like the Revolutionary Marxist Current can play a relevant role in the
revolutionary process by using the correct ideas of Marxism. These events must
be an encouragement to all comrades to redouble their efforts; we have taken
the right path and are building; these are the first fruits of what could
become a great harvest.
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