Neuquén is in the vanguard of the struggle against unemployment. It is a small city with around 200,000 people in the west of the country. The protest against the social crisis has reached a qualitatively higher level there than in the rest of Argentina. At first glance, there was nothing unconventional about the city – except the numerous placards and signs fixed on the lamp posts calling for solidarity with the strike of the ceramic workers at Zanon.
Zanon is famous for being the most modern ceramics factory in Latin America. It employs nearly 400 workers. Zanon’s fate is symbolic of the misery into which neo-liberal capitalism has plunged Argentina. Despite its modern character and its high productivity, the owner decided recently to sack all the employees and then re-employ only 60 workers at a wage 30 per cent below the present level.
Over the past years he had received considerable subsidies from the regional government and had agreed in return to preserve the jobs. But as has been experienced in Europe too, he took the money and now wants to sack all the workers.
Although this is not unusual under capitalism the reaction of the workers in Zanon was unusual. Last year the workers had already thrown out the old bureaucratic leadership of the “Union of Ceramic Workers and Employees of Neuquén” (SOECN) and replaced them with a militant one.
Soon after this SOECN organised a strike after a colleague died because there was no doctor in the factory in violation of the law. After a nine-day strike the boss caved in and met the workers’ demands.
But the threat of mass sackings was a far more serious attack. A mass meeting of workers decided to call an indefinite factory occupation. This has been going on for four months. But the Zanon workers did not stop at this. When we arrived at the factory gates we saw a huge Argentine flag on which was written: “This factory operates under workers control.”
The workers have re-started production – even if they cannot use all the machinery because the regional government has cut off the gas supply. In front of the factory the workers sell the ceramic products for lowered prices – schools and kindergarten have already been given them free.
The general secretary of SOECN, Raul Godoy, (who is a member of the PTS) welcomed us at the gate. Later he and some other colleagues showed us round the factory and how they are running production. After this one shift, between 150-200 workers held a meeting, which I attended. I was asked to address the meeting. I said that their experience of an occupation of where workers run production themselves for several months is something which has not been seen in Western Europe since the LIP-strike in France in 1973.
Naturally, it will be difficult to save the factory if the struggle is isolated. The perspective is rather to build for two, three, many Zanons because it is not only Zanon that is close to breakdown but the whole of Argentina. The only solution for this is if the working class takes over the whole country. In the subsequent discussion workers asked several questions including about our experience in the anti-capitalist movement.
Another important element of the strike is the involvement of women. The workers of Zanon are nearly all men. But the union leadership set out from the beginning to actively integrate the wives and families of the workers. In the union paper the women’s commission has four out of 20 pages. And they are also playing an active role in the actions. This is also true for the unemployed movement in Neuquén where one of the three leaders is a woman.
Neuquén is also exceptional in another way. As is known there are frequent protests of workers, unemployed and the lower middle classes in the whole country. But rarely, is there a close organised co-ordination between these sectors. But in Neuquén such a unity has been formed over the past months.
I was able to observe this unity in action when I participated in a blockade of a bridge (Neuquén is an economically important province because of oil but is connected with the centre of the country via only two bridges.) First, the Zanon workers started the blockade. As agreed in advance half an hour later a demonstration of 2-300 activists of the “Movement of unemployed workers” (MTD) arrived and joined the blockade.
The goal of the blockade was not to fully close down the traffic – as they did several times in the past – but only to slow it down to make agitation and collect donations. It was remarkable that not a single driver protested and many people gave money to the Zanon workers despite their own difficult circumstances.
The demands of the MTD of Neuquén are also remarkable since they differ from most of the other unemployed organisations in the country. They do not demand short-term job schemes but 10,000 proper jobs provided by the economically potent oil company, Repsol.
Later, the comrades invited us to a meeting of the MTD youth organisation. The 30 activists are particularly interested in our experience in the anti-capitalist movement in Europe and how we responded to the police repression in Genoa.
The subject of repression is a burning one in Argentina and particularly in Neuquén because the police operate there with exceptional brutality against the activists and sometimes even use firearms.
The outcome of the workers and unemployed struggles in Neuquén are far from over. But one thing is certain: that the workers movement and left in Europe can learn a lot from the experiences of the comrades in Neuquén.
The LRCI urges all trade unionists, socialists and anti-capitalists to raise money in support of the Zanon workers and is approaching various bodies to organise this.