Oil Workers In Venezuela Hold Off on Strike

Fedepetrol has deferred its plan to go on strike next week and will start talks with management PDVSA for a new collective labor agreement, a union official told Union Radio late Thursday. "We're going to sit down at the dialogue table next week and we're going to start revisions on our collective contract," Oswaldo Caivet said, Secretary-general of Fedepetrol. "The strike won't go ahead," he added.

Last week, Fedepetrol issued a strike threat as formal talks for a new collective labor agreement were slated to start this week. Fedepetrol officials want higher wages and improved labor benefits for their 40,000 workers, and say previous commitments have yet to be met.