Resumen

GAMBOA CACERES, Teresa; MELEAN ROMERO, Rosana  y  LOPEZ VALLADARES, Mirtha. Economic and Political Strategies of Large Private Venezuelan Food Companies and Their Effects on Workers, Consumers and Small Businesses. Gaceta Laboral [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.2, pp.220-250. ISSN 1315-8597.

Starting from a theoretical-practical study based on an analysis of documents, interviews and direct observation, the economic and political strategies of large food companies in Venezuela are explored: horizontal collaboration strategies to concentrate capital, control the market and reduce labor costs; hierarchical cooperation strategies the flexibilize labor relations through subcontracting systems; aggressive strategies against other companies, which eventually eliminate employment opportunities; technological-organizational strategies to achieve mass production, reduce labor costs and assure control of the workers; the lockout or employer’s strike as a strategy of political struggle, destined to change the orientation of the Bolivarian government, whose consequences were the elimination of employment sources, drastic reduction of mass consumption products and the bankruptcy of small businesses; and finally, the process of constructing new relationships between the companies and the State, which facilitates generation of new employment sources. Conclusions are that the business strategies express goals of control and power for the large economic groups over small businesses, consumers and workers and the tension between short-term economic interests and long-term political interests.

Palabras clave : Business strategies; labor cost reduction; labor flexibility; lockout strike; business power.