Zanon (Argentina): The factory rocks
alex | 02.01.2007 16:38 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements
Es el rock de la linea del frente.
The workers in the self-organised tile factory Zanon have something to celebrate: The temporary legal status of the factory, granted in 2001, was extended for three years this October. In what is fast becoming a tradition, they ended the year with a huge rock concert with 6000 guests.
The workers in the self-organised tile factory Zanon have something to celebrate: The temporary legal status of the factory, granted in 2001, was extended for three years this October. In what is fast becoming a tradition, they ended the year with a huge rock concert with 6000 guests.
On the 16 December, this unusual factory was once again serving other purposes in a most agreeable way. For the second time the Argentine rock band Attaque 77 appeared in the factory. The Zanon workers have organised similar events in the meantime, regularly inviting the residents of Neuquen into the factory grounds. They self-organise these festivals in the same way that they self-organise the entire production processes including all the administration - everything is done by the group, with solidarity, and without the police or security.
After a four-year occupation, the factory was licensed in October 2005 to the newly formed cooperative FaSinPat (Fabrica sin Patrones - Factory without Bosses). But only for one year. When the one-year period ran out at the end of October, a delegation of workers made the 15-hour journey to capital, Buenos Aires, to the relevant court. The court ruling was extended by three years. The same autonomous self-management remained in place.
In any case the compañer@s have to pay higher monthly costs for the bankruptcy proceedings and the mentioned court ruling will not provide them with a guaranteed legal status. The creditors can request an auction of the machinery at any time, and the licence is revocable at any time. The main creditor is the Word Bank.
After the ruling, the Zanon workers affirmed that they want to carry on fighting at all levels for a lasting and satisfactory solution to the conflict:
For the expropriation and nationalisation of the factory without compensation [to the owners], and under the administration of the workers. In support of this request and application to the Neuquen Provincial Government (in Patagonia), they have collected 17,000 regional and a further thousand international signatures.
Of the 160 companies that were taken over by workers during the economic crises, Zanon is the most politicised project. Unfortunately, the Zanon compañer@s have been left somewhat alone with their radical poisons, in a social climate in which the movement is no longer playing such large role. They are surrounded by capitalist principles. Defending solidaric ways of being against this is daily struggle. The court ruling in October at least gives them some breathing room to carry on with this experiment and this daily struggle without the sharp threat of eviction. Adelante!
Information in Spanish on the Zanon workers website:
http://www.obrerosdezanon.org/
A Brochure by Wildcat "A factory in Patagonia - Zanon belongs to the workers" in English, German and Polish
http://www.wildcat-www.de/dossiers/latina/movimientos.htm
Information in German
http://www.labournet.de/internationales/ar/zanon-index.html
After a four-year occupation, the factory was licensed in October 2005 to the newly formed cooperative FaSinPat (Fabrica sin Patrones - Factory without Bosses). But only for one year. When the one-year period ran out at the end of October, a delegation of workers made the 15-hour journey to capital, Buenos Aires, to the relevant court. The court ruling was extended by three years. The same autonomous self-management remained in place.
In any case the compañer@s have to pay higher monthly costs for the bankruptcy proceedings and the mentioned court ruling will not provide them with a guaranteed legal status. The creditors can request an auction of the machinery at any time, and the licence is revocable at any time. The main creditor is the Word Bank.
After the ruling, the Zanon workers affirmed that they want to carry on fighting at all levels for a lasting and satisfactory solution to the conflict:
For the expropriation and nationalisation of the factory without compensation [to the owners], and under the administration of the workers. In support of this request and application to the Neuquen Provincial Government (in Patagonia), they have collected 17,000 regional and a further thousand international signatures.
Of the 160 companies that were taken over by workers during the economic crises, Zanon is the most politicised project. Unfortunately, the Zanon compañer@s have been left somewhat alone with their radical poisons, in a social climate in which the movement is no longer playing such large role. They are surrounded by capitalist principles. Defending solidaric ways of being against this is daily struggle. The court ruling in October at least gives them some breathing room to carry on with this experiment and this daily struggle without the sharp threat of eviction. Adelante!
Information in Spanish on the Zanon workers website:
http://www.obrerosdezanon.org/ A Brochure by Wildcat "A factory in Patagonia - Zanon belongs to the workers" in English, German and Polish
http://www.wildcat-www.de/dossiers/latina/movimientos.htm Information in German
http://www.labournet.de/internationales/ar/zanon-index.html
alex