Recovering Factories

These photos were taken at the Crometal steel factory cooperative in Buenos Aires at the beginning of 2007. The cooperative was formed after the financial crisis in Argentina bankrupted the factory and the former owner fired the workers. Many of the workers were middle aged - without much hope of getting other employment and so they decided to take over or 'recover' the factory and keep it going as a cooperative. Their decision started an 18 month battle through the courts and with police and hired thugs to recover their jobs - finally - a sucessful struggle. The struggle gave the workers the confidence to make the business sucessful and keeping the factory going has meant that the workers have invested into the local community which would otherwise be severly depressed.

break time at t… Worker - intent… lunch worker worker worker worker locker room lunch interview punch wheel companeros

Keywords argentina fabrica recuperada recovered factories naomi klein social factory worker steel aluminium collective cooperative socialist anarchist