Exactly. Fat chance especially if there is no popular agitation and absolute silence/hostility on the issue from trade unions. I posted the story about the Venezuela measure to Pen-L several weeks ago and no one replied.
On Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 11:41 AM, Louis Proyect <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Sandwichman wrote: >> >> It's all very well to "connect the crisis to the underlying capitalist >> system." The proof, though, comes in whether one presents a program >> for BOTH responding to the current crisis within the constraints posed >> by that system while at the same time moving beyond those very >> constraints. That is the difference between calling for a program of >> work-time reduction and wool-gathering about the need to replace the >> system. >> > > Fat chance that a neoliberal like Obama will be for work-time reduction > although it is resonating elsewhere: > > Venezuela revives plan for six-hour workday > Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:03pm IST > > CARACAS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Venezuela has revived a popular plan to cut the > workday to six hours, just weeks before regional elections in which > socialist President Hugo Chavez is expected to lose control of some cities > and states. > > Labor Minister Roberto Hernandez, a former Communist Party leader, said he > will ask Congress this year to approve the reduction from eight hours ahead > of a labor law overhaul in the oil- exporting nation in 2009. > > The six-hour workday was first proposed as a sweetener in a reform package > that would have allowed Chavez to run for re-election indefinitely and given > him more powers. The package was rejected in a referendum last December. > > At the time, Chavez said the workday plan would create 150,000 jobs. But > business leaders characterized it as a heavy-handed measure that would slow > investment. > > The referendum was narrowly defeated and was the first time Chavez had lost > a major vote since he was elected nearly 10 years ago. It has emboldened a > fractured opposition ahead of elections for mayors and governors next month. > > Chavez allies now dominate the South American nation's states and cities. > > The president is popular for redistributing oil wealth to the poor but > widespread corruption, crime and rising prices are likely to cost the > outspoken U.S. critic some posts. > > Chavez has nationalized large swathes of Venezuela's economy, including oil > projects, steel works and a telecoms company. The state is now the OPEC > country's largest employer. > > Several unions are renegotiating labor contracts with the government and > demanding higher wages and better working conditions. (Reporting by Frank > Jack Daniel; Editing by Xavier Briand) > > _______________________________________________ > pen-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l > -- Sandwichman _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
