Versión Español
EspañolWorkers at Venezuela’s largest food-production firm Polar launched a major production drive this week in order to keep their jobs, dubbed #PlanGarra in social media.
The initiative, also accompanied by an online campaign, is also designed by workers as a response to alleged government plans to expropriate the company.
Nosotros no andamos jugamos carrito… #PlanGarra activado por nuestros puestos de trabajo y por Venezuela #TrabajoHonesto #Venezuela
— TODOS SOMOS POLAR (@todossomospolar) April 28, 2015
“We’re not playing around. #PlanGarra activated for our jobs and for Venezuela #HonestWork.”
The Polar group of companies is led by respected business magnate Lorenzo Mendoza, and is Venezuela’s principal producer of foodstuffs, beer, and wine. It’s flagship brand of maize flour, P.A.N., is known for its world-class quality.
In recent years, the firm has received constant threats from the Venezuelan government, which accuses it of “speculation” and of conspiring against the government. Yet despite a severe lack of currency reserves, Polar has largely maintained production levels.
#PlanGarra en Polar no necesitamos dolares, necesitamos materias primas! No necesitamos rumores necesitamos confianza
— TODOS SOMOS POLAR (@todossomospolar) April 29, 2015
“At Polar we don’t need dollars, we need raw materials! We don’t need rumors, we need trust.”
As a result, its workers (numbering over 30,000) have used the unofficial Twitter account @todossomospolar (We’re all Polar) to express their discontent with threats by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Somos más de 30mil trabajadores dispuestos A TODO, con tal de defender nuestros puestos de trabajo. #30MilActivos
— TODOS SOMOS POLAR (@todossomospolar) April 28, 2015
“We’re more than 30,000 people working for all, through which we’ll defend our jobs.”
According to recent Tweets, Plan Garra is currently in its “first phase.”
Compañer@s activar Fase1 del #PlanGarra #30MilActivos vamos pa lante vamos con todo. #trabajoHonesto #Venezuela
— TODOS SOMOS POLAR (@todossomospolar) April 28, 2015
“Comrades: activate phase one of #PlanGarra #30ThousandActive we’re moving forward with everything.”
Polar employees fear that a so-called economic about-face announced by Maduro could include the expropriation of the firm.
During a televised and radio-broadcast speech in February, the Venezuelan president called on all business leaders to “abandon now all the mechanisms of economic war; the fatherland needs you to work for her.”
Maduro further alluded to an unnamed business leader as “long-haired,” a reference most Venezuelans took to mean Mendoza, saying that “he must decide to work for the country or to leave.”
