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Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:35:33 -0000

You understood the article, dated 19 Aug, correctly. However, the CGT attitude subsequently changed, see http://www.lanacion.com.ar/...
Article entitled Moyano (head of the CGT) ctiticises the Kraft Occupation, dated 23 September.

Incidentally, the police evicted those occupying the plant today.

Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:45:21 -0000

As a matter of interesst, according to today's newspapers, so far this year there have been 440 blockages of highways in Buenos Aires due to street protests, compared to 265 during the same period last year. In the whole of last year there were 360.

Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:30:37 -0000

Here is what the UIA (Industrial Union of Argentina) had to say on 15th September:
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/...
Highlights in English:
...we wish to express our serious concern over the blatantly illegal actions .. used by the workers at Kraft Foods in support of their demand for the reinstatement of 150 fired employees.

...The openly illegal methods adopted by a group of operators have ignored the intervention of the government and legal authorities and are in direct violation of the legal system...

In my opinion, the only reason that the Kraft strikers have not been put in prison for their actions is that Kraft, as a US company, is a soft target here in Argentina, a country that is relentlessly anti-American.

I appreciate that direct actions, like blocking highways and occupying factories, have in the past sometimes been a last resort for the workers, but can these sort of actions really be justified in the case of a complaint over possibly inadequate sanitory facilities (first) and latterly over the dismissal of a group of workers for illegally occupying the factory and damaging company property?

I think the author of this article owes Kraft an apology.

Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:14:49 -0000

As this article notes, this illegal occupation of the factory stemmed from a pay dispute. The CGT has pointedly refused to back the local Kraft's union (STIA), whose reports seem to be your only source in this matter.

Of course I don't think all union members are thugs, but I think it is an appropriate word for those who vandalise company property, illegally occupy a factory and physically threaten other workers. Don't you?

Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:04:45 -0000

From today's Buenos Aires Herald:
Workers of Kraft Foods (former Terrabusi) are staging a roadblock on the Panamericana highway demanding that the company rehire some 60 workers. The demonstrators are totally blocking the access to and from the city of Buenos Aires. Union representatives told local media they would not block it for eight hours as they did on Monday, but that they will stage the process for a few hours, unless their demands are met. Earlier today, university students blocked the intersection of Callao and Corrientes avenues in the City of Buenos Aires to support the workers and press the government to intervene in the labour conflict.

The firm has repeatedly dismissed the notion of rehiring the workers and said it has videotaped those employees smashing machines in the plant, as they were protesting against the company and demanding higher wages months ago.

Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:28:11 -0000

I live in Buenos Aires, read the local newspapers and talk to people. This is a very left wing society, with strong unions and weak corporates. There are strikes every day, generally for higher pay but occasionally for more jobs. Despite the poor economic climate, workers have been striking this year for wage increases of 25%! Not surprisingly, foreign investment has dried up, companies go to Brazil, Chile & Uruguay instead. Supporting the Kraft occupation is incredibly short sighted, the Kraft plant has some of the best working conditions in the city and is being tyranised by a group of thugs.

Re: People's Weekly World - Kraft workers� struggle in Argentina goes global

pupin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:26:38 -0000

Damien,
156 kraft workers were fired for surrounding the administrative block of the Terrabusi factory and keeping the white collar staff prisoner within it, this after a week of strikes and work shutdowns. To protest their dismissal, a group of the fired workers then broke into the plant and occupied it. Their actions are not supported by the umbrella trade unions in Argentina and are blatently illegal.