File photo. A corridor of the Aula Magna hall at the Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, 2009. Photo: Trinitro Tolueno, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

VENEZUELA · LABOR

Venezuela teachers and nurses will join university staff in a 12-hour national strike on Monday 16 November, union leaders announced on Thursday 5 November. They demand year-end bonuses worth US$960 per worker and a plan to turn bonuses into base salary.

The strike was approved unanimously at a national assembly of unions at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. Unions say the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez has not answered a list of demands delivered in October.

What the Unions Are Demanding

The unions want year-end bonuses, called aguinaldos, calculated on a full monthly income of US$240 for four months, which comes to US$960 per worker. They say the bonus should reflect total income and not a symbolic sum.

In Venezuela’s pay system the US$240 minimum monthly income is made up almost entirely of bonuses. The base salary has been frozen at 130 bolívares a month, which is under US$1.

The unions also want a timetable to fold bonuses into base pay and an end to using the Patria system to pay work benefits. Patria is a government digital platform used to deliver state payments.

File photo. The Hospital Clínico Universitario on the Central University of Venezuela campus, Caracas, 2023. Photo: Warairarepano&Guaicaipuro, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.

How the Strike Will Work

The stoppage lasts 12 hours on Monday 16 November, according to José Gregorio Afonso, president of the Central University of Venezuela professors’ association. Pablo Zambrano, head of the health workers’ union Fetrasalud, said conditions will be set to guarantee emergency care.

Groups backing the call include the Venezuelan Teachers’ Federation, led by Carmen Teresa Márquez, and Fetrasalud. The nurses’ association of the Caracas capital district, headed by Ana Rosario Contreras, also supported the protest.

The assembly also voiced solidarity with workers in Guayana’s state industries, who are holding a vigil and a hunger strike. The unions plan to announce details of the stoppage before 16 November and to invite other public-sector workers to join.

Why Pay Is the Flashpoint

At the end of April, acting President Rodríguez raised the minimum monthly income to US$240 from about US$190. The increase went into bonuses, and the base salary stayed frozen.

Bonuses do not count in the base salary used to calculate legal benefits, so unions fear small year-end payments. Mauro Zambrano, coordinator of the Red Sindical union network, says no worker has been paid a year-end bonus yet.

Rodríguez told business leaders on 8 October that results of labor and social consensus talks would come in November. She did not say what measures would follow or confirm a new minimum wage.

In Plain English, Who Is Who

Delcy Rodríguez is Venezuela‘s acting president. The unions call her government the interim government.

An aguinaldo is a year-end bonus that many Latin American workers expect in December. The Central University of Venezuela is a public university in Caracas, and its humanities faculty hosted the assembly.

What It Means for You

For US readers, labor unrest is a risk signal for companies and investors watching Venezuela’s recovery and political transition. Workers whose pay cannot keep up with inflation can strain schools, hospitals and public services.

Travelers and expats in Caracas and other cities should expect disruption at schools, hospitals and universities on Monday 16 November. Health unions say emergency services are meant to keep running.

What Is Not Known

Whether the government will answer the demands before Monday 16 November is open. The presidency can say, and Rodríguez has said labor talks will produce results in November.

How many workers will join the stoppage will only be clear on the day. Union leaders can give turnout figures that evening.

More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Venezuela strike?

It is set for Monday 16 November and lasts 12 hours. Unions announced it on Thursday 5 November after a national assembly in Caracas.

Who is striking?

Teachers, nurses and other health workers, and university professors and staff are joining. The assembly also voiced solidarity with protesting workers in Guayana’s state industries.

How much are workers asking for?

They want year-end bonuses calculated on a US$240 monthly income for four months, or US$960 per worker. They also want a plan to fold bonuses into base salary.

Will hospitals close?

Health union leader Pablo Zambrano said conditions will be set to guarantee emergency care. Other services may be disrupted during the 12 hours.

Sources: Statements by union leaders at the national assembly at the Central University of Venezuela, 5 November 2026; Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, address to the Fedecámaras business federation, 8 October 2026; Government announcement of the US$240 minimum monthly income, 30 April 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief