Hands off Venezuela London holds meeting on workers control and social property

27 September 2007
Hands Off Venezuela
On Wednesday 27 September 2007, around 35 people attended the London branch of Hands off Venezuela's special meeting on workers control and different forms of social property in Venezuela.

iainsm.jpg On Wednesday 27 September 2007, around 35 people attended the London branch of Hands off Venezuela's special meeting on workers control and different forms of social property in Venezuela. 

 The main speaker was journalist Iain Bruce, who has just returned from Venezuela and is writing a book on the revolution.  Iain spoke of the experiences, both positive and negative, of worker's control at aluminium plant Alcasa, and how lessons can be learned for the future.

There then followed a lively debate on the topic, particularly on the question of whether 100% nationalisation of factories, which has been called for at Sanitarios Maracay, was to be preferred over "co-management", where the workers own 49% and the state 51%.  This latter form of ownership has been introduced at other nationalised plants. Some argued that more important than the form of ownership of individual factories was that the key levers of the economy be in the hands of the state rather than the private sector.groupwidesm.jpg

A very successful meeting, look out for the London group's next monthly special!