Maduro Signs Contract to Protect 2.5 Million Workers' Wages

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro took a step back from the circus of the election campaign on Friday to present a contract which will protect 2.5 million public sector workers.

In front of cheering crowds in Caracas’s Plaza Bolivar, Maduro said that the Collective Contract involved “extraordinary” resources, set aside for the labor benefits of all of the public sector labor force.

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“These resources must be extraordinary to ensure once and for all the wage protection, age premiums, training premiums, increased support to savings, housing plans, holiday bonus,” he said.

“Do you believe that if the Right had the majority in the National Assembly they would approve these resources?” he asked.

But as right-wing opposition continued this week to hurl accusations at the government, ranging from electoral campaigning irregularities to provoking a humanitarian crisis, supporters of the government told teleSUR that they were still committed to the legacy of Hugo Chavez.

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“It's going to be a long time before Chavismo ends. Chavez was really great, and Chavez left us a great gift, and we're not going to lose it now. The revolutionary process … is not going to change,” one woman told teleSUR attending a speech on the threats to Venezuela.

Others were adamant that, in spite of difficulties created by the severe economic problems and shortages in basic foods and products, the way to best support the revolution was to vote for the socialist PSUV party at the election on Dec. 6.

“The problems were not created by the revolution, they were created by those who do not love this country. So we, the revolutionaries, resist, and we are strong in the fight, and so yes I am going to vote, for my revolution,” a man told teleSUR.