Venezuelan gov't takes over closed glass factory, will be re-opened by its workers

August 12, 2016
Issue 
Venezuelan labour minister Oswaldo Vera.

Venezuelan labour minister Oswaldo Vera announced on August 10 that the government had taken over another shut-down manufacturing firm, the Morning Star said on August 12.

Vera said the Guardian de Venezuela laminated glass plant in Monagas state would be occupied and re-opened by its workers.

The government acted as soon as it heard the firm was abandoning production and sacking hundreds of workers, Vera said. He accused the company of “boycott and sabotage”, saying: “What the workers produced, they sold at a very low price abroad.”

As well as selling produce abroad, Guardian also sourced most of its raw material from outside the state. This meant the local economy benefited little from the company.

The government accuses national and transnational firms of waging an economic war against Venezuela under the pretext of the national economic crisis caused by the world slump in oil prices.

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