Meat Industry Workers Federation
Encyclopedia
The Meat Industry Workers Federation (in Spanish
: Federación Obrera de la Industria de la Carne, abbreviated FOIC) was a trade union
of meat workers in Argentina
. The union was founded in the early 1930s. FOIC was led by the Communist Party of Argentina
. José Peter was the general secretary of FOIC.
in the Argentinian meat-packing industry in 1932. The strike began on May 20, 1932, and followed strikes in the tram
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
. The strike spread to other meat-packing plants in Avellaneda and some workers also joined it in Berisso
.
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 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, strikebreaker
s were brought in to substitute striking workers.
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
'. 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
parliamentary faction in the Argentian 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.
FOIC organized resistance to the new regime. FOIC cadres organized mass meetings in Rosario
, 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
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.
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 Peronists over hegemony over the meat industry union movement. The latter two aligned themselves to corner the influence of FOIC.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Federación Obrera de la Industria de la Carne, abbreviated FOIC) was a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
of meat workers in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The union was founded in the early 1930s. FOIC was led by the Communist Party of Argentina
Communist Party of Argentina
The Communist Party of Argentina is a communist party from Argentina. It was founded in 1918.At the 2005 legislative elections, the Party joined the Encuentro Amplio with other left-wing parties in Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province...
. José Peter was the general secretary of FOIC.
1932 strike
FIOC led a major strikeStrike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in the Argentinian meat-packing industry in 1932. The strike began on May 20, 1932, and followed strikes in the tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
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
Avellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
. The strike spread to other meat-packing plants in Avellaneda and some workers also joined it in Berisso
Berisso
Berisso is the "cabecera" of the Department of Berisso of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater La Plata urban area and has a population of approximately 14.021 Inhabitants.-People:...
.
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
La Boca
La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It retains a strong European flavour, with many of its early settlers being from the Italian city of Genoa. In fact the name has a strong assonance with the Genoese neighborhood of Boccadasse , and some people believe that...
. During this meeting, Peter called for continuation of the strike and condemned CGT and FORA 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, strikebreaker
Strikebreaker
A strikebreaker is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who are not employed by the company prior to the trade union dispute, but rather hired prior to or during the strike to keep the organisation running...
s were brought in to substitute striking workers.
Organizing profile
FOIC published El Obrero del Frigorífico.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
Equal pay for equal work is the concept that individuals doing the same work should receive the same remuneration. In America, for example, the law states that "employers may not pay unequal wages to men and women who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility,...
'. 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 (Argentina)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in Argentina. The history of socialism in Argentina began in the 1890s, when a group of people, notably Juan B. Justo, expressed the need for a greater social focus....
parliamentary faction in the Argentian 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
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, 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
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
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.
Repressed, again
In October 1943, there was yet another clampdown on FOIC, yet more aggressive than the June 1943 crack-down. Negotatiations 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 UruguayUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
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 Peronists over hegemony over the meat industry union movement. The latter two aligned themselves to corner the influence of FOIC.