Venezuelan TU Visit
Venezuelan Trade Union delegation visit UNISON
Eglé Sanchez - General Secretary of the Venezuelan Graphic, Print and paper workers Union, and Elias Rodriguez – Union President and PSUV (Partido Social Unido de Venezuela) visited UNISON members at the Cambridge Health branch. They also met with the Branch Health & Safety rep, Carl Whiffen and Steward Heather Jones. The visit took place at Addenbrookes Hospital on Monday 30th November as part of a visit organised by Thompson’s Solicitors office to mark the 10th Anniversary of the social progress in Venezuela.
Dario Lopez, who is currently seconded to UNISON’s Eastern Region, accompanied them and acted as interpreter. This is his report of the visit
The delegation was met by Carl Whiffen & Heather Jones, who first gave us a brief talk about the hospital’s history, whilst they showed pictures on a short tour around the passages of the Hospital.
We then were taken to the Surgery Implements Sterilisation Unit and Carl told us about the strong position that UNISON members hold within the Trust due to the high number of staff being part of the Union. Despite the number of successful negotiations with the employer, he highlighted the low salary of the technicians that worked in the department we were standing on, and that if it wasn’t by the union they would be in a worse situation.
Carl also spoke very keenly about his role in UNISON and its achievements.
Eglé Sanchez & Elias Rodriguez were very grateful to everyone involved in the visit including Thompson’s solicitors, and thanked us for the time and kindness put into organising the trip. They said that although they did not work in health in a direct way, they would take a lot of the ideas they gleaned from this visit to their colleagues in the Venezuelan Government, who are deeply involved in the progress of the Health Service of their country.
Sanchez & Rodriguez also made a speech at the Thompson’s Solicitors office to mark the 10th anniversary of the social progress in Venezuela. In this meeting they were bombarded with questions of how the Chavez government dealt with the different aspects and challenges that he faces in his administration.
Dario said it was a great opportunity for him to share the visit with his Latin American brothers.
Dario Lopez
UNISON
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