An article by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis published www.globalproject. info
In 2004, we realized a documentary "The Take - The wall" on the Argentinean movement of occupied factories and self-managed by workers. Suddenly, in 2001, Argentina was awakened in the middle of a dramatic economic disaster and thousands of workers entered the abandoned factories and resumed their role in organizing cooperatives. Abandoned by political bosses and the workers then were able to recover unpaid wages and liquidations. And together, in claiming their rights, have never ceased to claim their place of work.
In promoting our work in Europe and North America, every debate ended with the question: "everything that has happened in Argentina, as it could never happen here?"
today that the world economy that looks incredibly Argentina in 2001 (and many of the causes are the same) between workers in rich countries is developing a new wave of mobilization. And again cooperatives become a real alternative to the continuous dismissals. The U.S. and European workers are beginning to ask the same question they have set themselves the Latin American colleagues, "because we have to lay off? Why can not we fire the bosses? Why the banks are bankrupt our company while taking millions of dollars that are in fact our money? ".
Tomorrow night (May 15) at Cooper Union in New York participate in a public confrontation - "Firing the boss: workers' control as a solution to Buenos Aires to Chicago" - which deals with this phenomenon.
With us there will be representatives of the Argentinean movement and struggle of the workers in Republic Window and Doors of Chicago (December 4, 2008 the manufacturer of doors and windows leading U.S. has announced that he would leave in three days at home 300 employees , workers occupied the factory, ndt).
give voice to those seeking to reconstruct economies from the bottom, and they need public support, politics and government, in our opinion is the best way to address this issue. For those who could not be there tomorrow, below is a summary of developments in world of this phenomenon, that of workers who take over control of the situation.
Argentina:
In Argentina, the first source of inspiration for many current activities of workers, there were more jobs in the last four months than in the previous four years. An example:
Arrufat, chocolate manufacturer with 50 years of history, was closed without notice at the end of last year. Thirty workers occupied the factory and despite a huge amount of debts from the property have failed to produce chocolates in the light of day by using generators.
With a loan of less than $ 5,000 bestowed by The Working World, an NGO involved in financing created by an admirer of The Take, the workers were able to produce 17 000 Easter eggs. Earned $ 75,000, of which one thousand have gone to each worker and the remainder was set aside for future productions.
Britain:
Visteon is a manufacturing factory that manufactures auto parts and which has been cut off from Ford in 2000. In April 2009, hundreds of workers was announced the dismissal with immediate effect. And two hundred of them in Belfast were up on the roof of the factory, another two hundred in Enfield (London) have followed the next day. In the weeks following
Visteon has increased the liquidity fund of ten times the offer initial, but the company refuses to deposit the money in current accounts of the workers as long as the dispute continues. But workers do not give up.
Ireland:
A factory where they produce the legendary crystal Waterfront earlier this year has been occupied for seven weeks. A wage employment, the special administration for liquidation activities of the parent Waterfront Wedgewood, after the acquisition by a U.S. company. Buyers
Americans today have transferred 10 million euro in a fund settlement and negotiations to keep some jobs are continuing.
Canada: From
bankrupt automaker Big Three, there were four occupations. Canadian workers have been mobilized since the beginning of 2009 against the closure and the loss of their acquired rights. Have entered into employment to ensure that the machines were taken away and used this means to compel the company to sit around a table to negotiate. Which is what they did workers in Argentina.
France
In France there was a surge of "kidnappings masters" this year. The angry workers have held the masters in the factories at risk of closure. It 'happened to Caterpillar, the 3M, Sony and Hewlett Packard.
Executives of 3M workers were offered a meal of mussels and fries (Belgian specialty, ndt) during their overnight stay.
In France, then a satirical film, "Louise-Michel, has had great media coverage and public. In the play a group of work takes a killer to kill his boss because he has closed the factory without prior notice.
A union in March went on to state, "he who sows misery gathers fury. Violent are those who cut jobs, not those who defend them. "
This week, thousands of metal workers stopped work company ArcelorMittal, the largest steel producer in the world. They invaded the company's headquarters in Luxembourg, breaking through gates, breaking windows and clashing with police.
Poland
Also this week, in southern Poland, thousands of workers have barricaded themselves in the administrative offices of the most important European coal company in protest against cuts in wages.
Use:
Here is the story of the legendary Republic Windows and Doors. Two hundred workers occupied the factory for six days that shook Chigaco in December. With a shrewd campaign against the company's largest creditor, no little 'bit less of the Bank of America ("To have helped you, you put it on sale!", Their slogan) and with an incredible international solidarity, workers have obtained the award that they deserve. And there's more: the factory now reopened with new owners and the production of environmentally-friendly windows all workers were taken on the same salary.
That same week, the Republic of experience doing school. Hartmax is a company with 122 years of history in making clothes for men, including the broken blue Barack Obama was wearing the night of his election and tuxedo and coat of its opening night.
The company is in bankruptcy. Its largest creditor is Wells Fargo, the fourth largest bank of America who got public financing 25 billion dollars for his rescue. And while there are two offers for taking over the company and maintain production, Wells Fargo wants to liquidate. Monday 650 workers voted for the occupation of the factory in Chicago where the bank does not head back.
And that's just the beginning ...
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