Venezuela Solidarity Campaign is aimed at

Promoting & strengthening links with Venezuelan Trade unionists. Co-ordinating Solidarity activities within Britain and working together with other groups promoting the Venezuelan cause. Promoting news & documentaries raising awareness of Venezuela. Supporting the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own future free from external intervention. Promote & undertake solidarity tours to Venezuela

We were created following the 2002 coup in Venezuela. Our campaign to raise solidarity has developed considerably. We have helped make the trade union movement more aware of the situation in Venezuela and encourage the establishment of local solidarity groups and distributing a range of support materials.

Since our creation, a considerable degree of support has been obtained. VSC has proven highly successful in our campaign to promote solidarity. We have the support of numerous sections of the British Trade Union movement.

Many people have gained an awareness of the campaign, especially since the coup on 2002 and subsequent regional influence of Chavez and the Revolution in Venezuela. Part of this campaign has been our highly successful distribution of the DVD The Revolution will Not Be Televised.

As information of the massive social improvements in Venezuela, due to the Bolivarian revolution, became more widely known within Britain and Europe, greater support has followed. This now includes the support from sections of all the British Trade Union movement. 

In May 2006 VSC were invited to support the visit of President Chavez to Britain. We were welcomed by Ken Livingstone who introduced President Chavez - pictures available here. We supported and particpated in his visit to Congress House (TUC) and Parliament (Labour Friends of Venezuela).

The support Venezuela has obtained started with Trades Union Councils (TUC’s). One of the earliest Trades Union Councils to express support for the Venezuela revolution was Wolverhampton Bilston & District TUC (Sept 2004).This was quickly followed by others. These include the Chelmsford TUC. Following the lead given by the international solidarity group, HOV, the British trade union NATFHE (lecturers and teachers) expressed support for Venezuela and pursued a motion which ultimately concluded at the Trades Union Congress (September 2005) - the highest decision making body of the trade union movement in Britain. A consensus was obtained by many volunteers and the resolution had the unanimous support of all  trade unions.

VSC has hosted delegations, tours, public meetings, film showings, presentations, distributed documentaries and undertaken a range of campaigning activities to raise the profile of Venezuela and build solidarity with Venezuelan trade unions and activists.

During this critical time, VSC obtained the support of all West Midlands Trades Unions Councils through the County Association of Trade Union Councils. Following this, they backed a motion in February 2005 to the Midlands TUC, a large regional official body of the trade union movement in Britain. This meeting gave its support to both the new Venezuelan trade union movement the UNT and the VSC campaign. This has been replicated by numerous local TUCs and at the Trades Union Councils’ National Conference in Liverpool (UK) in June 2005.
 
In addition to this support, UNISON West Midlands (the largest Public Service Union in the health sector) also supports the campaign and has undertaken joint UNISON/VSC public meetings.

Click here for further detail and a PDF newsletter

TUC Support Venezuela Solidarity

In late 2005 we updated our name from VSUK to VSC. This was done to make the name clearer and fits in with the tradition within Britain regarding solidarity movements ( PSC - Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, CSC - Cuba Solidairty Campaign and others).