Venezuela public sector workers march for better salaries
Reuters
Published Jan 23, 2023 11:39AM ET
Updated Jan 24, 2023 02:29AM ET
CARACAS (Reuters) - Hundreds of public sector workers including teachers, nurses and retired police officers took to the streets in Venezuela on Monday to demand better salaries and pensions at a time when the government of President Nicolas Maduro faces growing inflation.
Workers in Venezuela's education and health sectors have held three peaceful demonstrations in a dozen cities so far this year to demand more money.
Venezuela's minimum wage of 130 bolivars a month - around just $6 - was last adjusted in March 2022, when year-on-year inflation closed at 305%, according to non-governmental groups that monitor economic indicators in the absence of official data.
The government says that U.S sanctions have made it impossible to control consumer price growth.
"Hunger doesn't know fear, when hunger arrives fear disappears," said teacher Nancy Hernandez, 60, during a march in Barquisimeto, referring to possible clashes with the police.
In Maracaibo, the capital of the once-powerful oil-rich Zulia state in northwestern Venezuela, protesters marched to the governor's office.
"What we are experiencing is more than abuse," Zulia reservist policeman Gustavo Gonzalez, 60, said. "We are starving."
"We're going to have to close the police hospital because (...) there isn't even one bandage. We policemen from Zulia are forgotten, we don't have shoes or uniforms," Gonzalez added.
"I never thought I would reach 63 in this way, relying on garbage to eat," said Humberto Montiel, a pensioner who use to work on airport construction.
Montiel must clean patios and collect trash because "when my miserable pension runs out, I am still hungry," he said.
In Valencia, a city in central Venezuela, Jose Francisco Jimenez, the general secretary of the Association of Employees of the University of Carabobo, said he and his colleagues had gathered to demand a dignified salary.
"With a (monthly) salary of just $10 it's impossible for a family of four or five people to survive," Jimenez, 56, said.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.