Argentina
The Kraft battle isn’t over: the reincorporation of all of the fired workers
26/09/2009
The image of the police on their horses, under the government’s order,
attacking a workers’ strike and the heroic struggle of the 2,600
workers against the North American multinational Kraft Company will be
engraved in the memories of millions of workers.
The hundreds of police officers that were part of the evacuation that
took place on the 37th day of the Kraft strike caused national
indignation. Tear gas, rubber bullets, sticks, more than 60 arrests
within the plant that has been converted into a detention center.
Amongst those arrested were union delegates and members of the union
shop steward. The decision to aggressively repress the workers in
favor of a foreign capital company puts an “end” of the governments’
image of being for the people and the nation.
The repressive operation was drawn out in the Ministry of Labor. The
multinational company attempted to use their worker scabs to present
an “agreement”, which was really just a demand: leaving all 160 fired
families in the streets and evacuate the factory in order to restart
production on Monday. At the same time the district attorney told
members of the Union Shop Stewards, who were inside the plant, that
“when the agreement goes public, were going to evacuate the factory.”
“The Kraft battle”, as the media has begun to call the struggle, isn’t
over. There have once again been solidarity actions throughout the
country and many politicians condemn the brutal repression and are
demanding that those who were arrested be set free as well as the
reincorporation of all of the fired workers.
Student, human rights and union organizations as well as political
forces are mobilizing support for the Kraft workers struggle. We are
organizing a meeting this Saturday the 26th at 4pm in the Bauen Hotel
in Buenos Aires to decide on the next necessary steps to make this
great workers’ struggle triumphant.
