SELF-MANAGEMENT
It’s a work-in not a walk-out. Remember the Upper Clyde Ship workers? In 1971 With 15,000 jobs at risk, 8,500 in the yards and 6,500 among suppliers, shipworkers on the Clyde decided to stage a work-in, which lasted 14 months. Now – today – something very similar is happening in Argentina, and it’s under attack... “The workers of the self-managed Zanon ceramics factory are once again under attack by the government and business interests trying to evict them in the southern province of Neuquen, Argentina. Since 2001, the employees have successfully managed the factory, setting an example for the working-class worldwide that workers can produce and manage even better without a boss or owner. Over the past four years, workers have battled against eviction threats and intimidation, but in the past few weeks the government and security forces representing the factory’s old ownership have used tactics of torture and kidnapping – reminiscent of Argentina’s military dictatorship (1976-1983) in which 30,000 people, mostly activists, were disappeared in the dirty war. On Friday, March 4 a group of four individuals (three men and a woman) kidnapped the wife of an employee at Zanon. They forced her into a green Ford Falcon, a model of car security operatives used to kidnap activists during the dictatorship, sending a chilling reminder of the dirty war. They tortured her and cut her face, hands, arms and breasts. They gave details of how they carefully followed her and have detailed information about her movements. In response, this woman, who had never participated in a protest, led the march on International Women's Day in Neuqen." More here... and also here
