Argentina: Lear workers announced a new national day of action and struggle plan

In a packed public lecture, held at the National Congress, where Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, provincial deputies, and dozens of supportive social organizations participated, Lear workers announced today a plan to fight for the reinstatement of 100 dismissed workers, 100 laid off workers, and for the reinstatement of the Internal Committee to the American automotive-parts manufacturer located at the town of General Pacheco (Buenos Aires suburbs).

Workers announced a new national day of action with roadblocks and other measures for next Thursday, July 17th. But before this, on Tuesday July 15th, they will demonstrate outside the Ministry of Labor’s Office (headquarters Alem) to demand intervention in the face of the illegality under which the company Lear Corporation has acted.

Nora Cortinas and Elia Espen, mothers of Plaza de Mayo, were present at the Congress along with recuperated granddaughter Maria Victoria Moyano to repudiate the repression of Lear workers and the suffering of supporting organizations on Tuesday that stood up in solidarity with the demands of the workers.

But what most signified the extraordinary political support was the presence of national deputies, such as Nicolas Del Cano (PTS / FIT), Leonardo Grosso (FPV), Omar Plaini (BCEyT), Virginia Linares (GEN / FAP), Víctor De Gennaro, Antonio Riestra and Claudio Lozano (UP), Alzira Argumedo (South Project / UNITE), Nestor Pitola (PO / FIT), Christian Castillo provincial deputy (PTS / FIT), Diego Rovella (UCR), Pablo Farias (FAP), and the Buenos Aires legislator Alejandro Bodart (MST).

Lear’s workers delegate, Ruben Matu, stated at the beginning of the conference, along with his colleagues of the Internal Committee, Silvio Fanti and Gustavo Troccaioli: "Today, despite the deployment of repressive tactics, we wanted to enforce the precautionary measure ordering the company to let the Internal Committee remain at work, and in the face of their refusal we returned to block the plant, which is now completely paralyzed. Next week, we will intensify our struggle because this company is proceeding in complete unlawfulness and we fight for what is right: our jobs and the right to organize for our rights.”

The conference, which lasted nearly three hours, also saw the participation of EMFER and TATSA, who were present with a delegation, Ruben ’Pollo’ Sobrero, Norma Rios, vice president of the National APDH, Santiago Bauer, president of the Ecumenical Movement for Rights human Rosario, Juan Carlos Giordano of the Socialist Left, Vilma Ripoll of the MST, Myriam Bregman (PTS), and Jorge Cardelli on behalf of the CTA. Also present were Luis Zamora, Pepe Peralta (Secretary General of the CTA Capital), Carlos Chile, leader of the National CTA, Graciela Rosenblum (Argentina League for the Rights of Man), Diana Kordon (Liberpueblo), Antonio Sofia (PCR), Victoria Basualdo (FLACSO), Edgardo Moyano (lawyer and member of the workers CeProDH), and Hector Heberling (New MAS).

At the conference we read the words of support sent by Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Mirta Baravalle (mother of the Plaza de Mayo), Encuentro memoria verdad y justicia (Asociación de ex-detenidos y desaparecidos), Osvaldo Bayer, Daniel James, Vincent Zito Lema, Noam Chomsky, and Diego Morales (CELS).

Lear workers thanked the people for their extraordinary showing of solidarity in connection with their struggle and at the end of the conference they went, with a delegation, to the headquarters of the Ministry of Labor’s Office to request an immediate hearing.

Breaking news : On monday 14th a new assembly held by Lear workers decided to carry out the actions and mobilizations on Wednesday July 16th