Workers cooperatives in Argentina
Today millions of poor people are living in Argentina that used to be a rich country in the past. The Argentine trade union federation CTA is fighting poverty. It is supporting workers cooperatives in order to safe and create jobs and income.
The fall was brutal: In 2001 the economy in Argentina collapsed under the burden of heavy debts, corruption, neoliberal finance policies and structural adjustment programms. Many companies closed down and thousands of workers lost their jobs.
In this emergency situation workers of companies in closure took the initiative and continued to work and to produce under their own control.
Around 200 workers controlled companies exist in Argentina today. Most of them are organised as cooperatives. They have lots of problems: access to credits, uncertain property rights and lack of know how in marketing, accounting and company management.
The CTA is supporting workers cooperatives as a measure to fight unemployment and poverty in Argentina. The union federation is organising the workers of these companies. CTA is offering training and legal and technical advice to the workers cooperatives and lobbying for better cooperative laws.
