Guayana workers secure $1,100 profit sharing bonus after hunger strike

Workers and retirees of basic companies in Guayana, Venezuela, reached an agreement with the Corporación Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) to receive $1,100 in profit sharing for 2026.

The deal followed 28 days of protests, including a hunger strike and a labor vigil. Representatives for the protesters met with CVG president Héctor Silva and Bolívar state governor Yulisbeth García to finalize the terms.

Union leaders Fernando Serrano of Venalum and Henry Arias of Alcasa confirmed that negotiations began with an initial offer of $800 before the authorities increased the amount to $1,400. The parties eventually settled on a flat rate of $1,100 for all workers, including active staff, retirees, and those no longer required by the companies. This uniform payment was intended to ensure equity among different groups of the workforce.

The $1,100 payment will be distributed in five installments between November 2026 and March 2027. The first two payments of $400 each occur in November and December 2026, followed by three monthly payments of $100 in early 2027. This amount marks a major increase from the previous eight years, during which workers received less than $100 in profit sharing. Hugo Medina, a retiree who participated in the protests, ended a 17-day hunger strike following the agreement.

Medina stated that the workers' mobilization was necessary to force a response from authorities, who he claimed attempted to delay the settlement through a war of attrition.