The Meat Industry Workers Federation (in
Spanish: ''Federación Obrera de la Industria de la Carne'', abbreviated FOIC) was a
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
of meat workers in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. The union was founded in the early 1930s. FOIC was led by the
Communist Party of Argentina.
[Bergquist, Charles W. ]
Labor in Latin America: Comparative Essays on Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia
'. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1986. pp. 152-153, 156 José Peter was the general secretary of FOIC.
[Bergquist, Charles W. ]
Labor in Latin America: Comparative Essays on Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia
'. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1986. pp. 154-155
1932 strike
FIOC led a major
strike in the Argentinian meat-
packing industry in 1932. The strike began on May 20, 1932, and followed strikes in the
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
workers' and farmers' strikes in March and April the same year. Although it only lasted for less than two weeks, it was the largest strike in the country since 1917–1918. The union shut down the largest meat-packing plant in the world, Anglo Frigorífico in
Avellaneda
Avellaneda (, ) is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 342,677 as per the . Avellaneda is located within the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, and is connected ...
. The strike spread to other meat-packing plants in Avellaneda and some workers also joined it in
Berisso
Berisso is a city and the head town of the '' partido'' of Berisso in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater La Plata urban area and has a population of approximately 95,021 as of 2001.
People
Berisso was founded by Italia ...
.
In preparations for the strike, the communists were able to benefit from their experiences with clandestine activism. As they were unable to hold large public meetings, they contacted workers and held small clandestine meetings with them. The meetings were camouflaged as picnics, festivals or other social gatherings.
At Anglo Frigorífico, 4,000 workers joined the strike. Around 3,000 workers participated in the daily mass meetings organized by FOIC and CUSC at Anglo Frigorífico. On May 21, 1931, FOIC mobilized a mass meeting at another meat-packing plant, La Blanca, with 2,500 participants. Violence erupted during the strike, and the Communist Party issued a call for workers' self-defense. On May 22, 1932, a meeting was held in Salon Verdi in
La Boca. During this meeting, Peter called for continuation of the strike and condemned CGT and
FORA
The Argentine Regional Workers' Federation (Spanish: ''Federación Obrera Regional Argentina''; abbreviated FORA), founded in , was Argentina's first national trade unions in Argentina, labor confederation. It split into two wings in 1915, the la ...
for not having joined the strike.
However, the strike resulted in a failure for FOIC. The strike was met with repression, striking workers were assaulted by police forces. Police raided the FOIC headquarters and shut it down. In the industries,
strikebreakers were brought in to substitute striking workers.
Organizing profile
FOIC published ''El Obrero del Frigorífico''.
[Camarero, Hernán. ]
El Partido Comunista y los sindicatos en la Argentina durante as décadas de 1920 y 1930
'
Following the 1932 strike, FOIC readjusted some of its policies. It began to recognize the increasing importance of women workers in the meat-packing industries, and began to raise the demand for '
equal pay for equal work
Equal pay for equal work is the concept of labour rights that individuals in the same workplace be given equal pay. It is most commonly used in the context of sexual discrimination, in relation to the gender pay gap. Equal pay relates to the full ...
'. Moreover, with the emergence of
Taylorist practices in the
meat industry since the 1920s, FOIC demanded an end to piecework and premium system.
In 1935, the Communist Party adopted a more moderate approach to union organizing in the meat industry. FOIC worked on two fronts; on one hand it ran a national campaign (directed towards the Argentinian public opinion, government and CGT leadership) for improved conditions for meat workers, on the other FOIC began to organize informal social activities amongst meat-packing workers (such as picnics and barbecues).
In 1939 FOIC reached a formal deal with the CGT leadership (which was in the hands of moderate socialists), in which CGT agreed to prioritize organizing in the meat industry. Moreover, a petition, drafted by José Peter, was presented by the
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
parliamentary faction in the Argentinian Chamber of Deputies, demanding improvements in the situation of meat-packing workers.
In 1942, after long negotiations, FOIC reached a deal with the meat-packing industry management regarding pensions for meat workers.
Ban and resistance
One of the first moves of the military junta that seized power in June 1943, was the ban issued on FOIC. The FOIC offices in Berrios and Avellaneda were closed down. FOIC leaders, such as Peter, were arrested.
FOIC organized resistance to the new regime. FOIC cadres organized mass meetings in
Rosario
Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...
, Avellaneda and Berrios. They issued a strike petition, with both economic demands (such as demand for 30 hours guaranteed work per week) as well as a call for release of jailed labour leaders. The management refused to negotiate with the union. A major
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
was organized in September 1943. During the strike, many striking workers were attacked and arrested by police. However, the strike paralyzed the meat industry. Towards the end of the month, Peter and other FOIC leaders were released. The government agreed to recognize the right to union organizing, and FOIC called off the strike.
[Bergquist, Charles W. ]
Labor in Latin America: Comparative Essays on Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia
'. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1986. p. 160
Repressed, again
In October 1943, there was yet another clampdown on FOIC, yet more aggressive than the June 1943 crack-down. Negotiations with the management and government on meeting economic demands had failed. On October 22, 1943, the government raided the FOIC offices and the union leaders (including Peter) were jailed (Peter was deported to
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
after a year and half of imprisonment). The government ordered that the funds of FOIC was transferred to two persons that had been expelled from the organization. Following this crack-down, competition surged between the communists, independent unionists and
Peronist
Peronism, also called justicialism,. The Justicialist Party is the main Peronist party in Argentina, it derives its name from the concept of social justice., name=, group= is an Argentine political movement based on the ideas and legacy of Ar ...
s over hegemony over the meat industry union movement. The latter two aligned themselves to corner the influence of FOIC.
Dissolution
At a meeting held in the Eden del Dock Sur cinema on May 12, 1945, Peter declared that FOIC had been dissolved and encouraged the members and sympathizers of the union should join the autonomous unions in the meat industry. On September 1, 1946, CGT (now under Peronist leadership) accepted the transfer of the properties of FOIC from Peter.
[Puiggrós, Rodolfo. ]
El peronismo: sus causas
'. uenos Aires Carlos Pérez ed, 1971. p. 46
References
{{reflist
Trade unions in Argentina
Meat industry trade unions
Trade unions disestablished in 1945