Northern zone of the GBA. Solidarity grows with Lustramax workers in struggle

On Wednesday, January 14, Lustramax workers called a solidarity meeting at the door of their factory, where they held an assembly demanding their jobs. Just after 6 p.m. the meeting began, with great joy from all sectors that joined in just a few hours. The workers, from inside the factory, thanked those who came and, of course, described the situation in depth and exchanged ideas about how to help with this struggle (and that of others who were present, such as the ILVA workers). The displays of solidarity grow day by day, the fighting fund is disseminated and now different initiatives are beginning to be organized to strengthen support until they are reinstated.

Participating in this meeting were workers from Bed Time, from ILVA, municipal unions from Vicente López, from the recovered Madygraf, from CICOP Hospital Cordero, delegates from Finning Cat, La Marrón, a teacher from Tres de Febrero, Tigre, San Fernando and La Matanza, from the Bordó Group of Mondelez, from Georgalos, colleagues from FATE, Gustavo, fired in the Shell struggle, workers from Posadas, Ademys, Naranja railways, Red List Belgrano Norte, CeProDH, Javier Aparicio from Volkswagen, Jorge, fired from Pilkington, Polo Obrero, Agrupación En Clave Roja, Agrupación Ya Basta, El Yunque UNGS, students from the universities of Lanús, UNPAZ and UNGS and various political parties that support the struggle, such as the PTS, Partido Obrero, Izquierda Socialista, MST, Nuevo MAS and COR, and dozens of colleagues from other sectors.

At the meeting it was resolved:

1. Form a Solidarity Commission to support the struggle of Lustramax workers.

1. Promote a large fighting fund so that they do not break their fight due to hunger.

1. Promote a great festival at the factory gates.

1. Shake a special flyer that the Lustramax workers made.

The day began very early with a new action on the Panamericana, which had the objective of making visible the legitimate claim of the workers who are fighting against layoffs, together with different sectors that came to provide their support. The action consisted of marching from the factory doors towards the Pilar access to carry out a cut as a form of protest against the intransigence of the employers, who refused to comply with the mandatory conciliation dictated by the Ministry of Labor of the province the day before. Then came new examples of the impunity with which the employers handle themselves, now presenting Senator Francia Arietto as their lawyer, initiating what we consider an employer maneuver, since they ordered all administrative staff to withdraw to place a sign announcing a closure for an indefinite period, alleging an alleged usurpation. Ridiculously, he managed to get the criminal justice system to grant the eviction request that he presented on Monday and that will be appealed today.

This Wednesday that passed, and in which the meeting was held, was a key day in this fight. All the support received, the ideas and the exchanges are an enormous strengthening in the fight. Those present took away the commitment to carry out the resolutions and participate regularly in the camp. The meeting was filled with pride and, above all, a huge exchange about how to move forward. And the participation of the families of the dismissed colleagues and also of those who were not fired, who came to show solidarity, stood out.

Juana, a relative of those laid off, asked to speak to tell how the Lustramax families experience this conflict and how, even in the most difficult moments, class solidarity between workers always emerges, something so valuable in times when the owners of everything increasingly show their ambition, their contempt for workers and their plan to continue increasing their profits at the expense of those of us who move the world.

Now this solidarity is going to be transformed into an organized force to fill this conflict with support and more strength. Follow the networks of Lustramax workers: they will announce each activity and, immediately, they will raise resources for the fighting fund.