The Guardian 20 July, 2005
Global briefs
ARGENTINA: An appellate court last week annulled the forced reorganisation of the
worker-occupied Zanon ceramics factory, clearing the way for ultimate recognition of the worker
cooperative that has run it successfully for nearly four years. The factory was closed by its former
owners in October 2001, just two months before the Argentine economy was devastated by an
IMF-induced crisis. Zanon workers then took over the plant, basing their management on
democratic decision-making. The plant, which is located in the southern province of Nuequen, now
has some 400 workers. During the crisis workers took over many more enterprises, and now more
than 200 such cooperatives exist. As a symbol of this movement, Zanon has been targeted by the
right wing. A woman worker was kidnapped and tortured earlier this year. Large demonstrations
have also been held upholding the workers' right to operate the plant.
HAITI: Speaking in Port-au-Prince, Lavalas (party of deposed president Jean-Bertrand
Aristide) spokesman Samba Boukman denounced the July 6 pre-dawn attack by UN troops
(MINUSTAH) on the poor working-class Cité Soleil neighbourhood as brutal and indiscriminate.
Residents said over 300 UN troops used helicopters, tanks, machine guns and tear gas in the raid.
The UN, claiming the operation was against violent gang activity, acknowledged troops killed at
least five people. Other estimates ranged to more than 50. Victims included children, some of
whom were killed as they fled. Boukman condemned MINUSTAH's use of such powerful weaponry
in a densely populated neighbourhood. On July 8, ten residents of Port-au-Prince's working-class
Bel Air district were killed by Haitian national police. Witnesses said the police shot randomly,
killing most victims inside their homes. Both neighbourhoods are known for staunch support of
Aristide.
CANADA: At the end of June the City Couincil of Vancouver, Canada, decided to reject a
proposal to build the city's first Wal-Mart by 8 votes to 3. The fight against the store was led by City
Councillor Anne Roberts, who said that approving a Wal-Mart went against everything the city is
trying to do. Days later, the Campbell River City Council(200km from Vancouver) followed suit,
after a three-night, 15-hour public hearing heard over 200 speakers urge rejection of Wal-Mart's
rezoning application. Meanwhile, UFCW Local 486 President Guy Chenier, called the decision of
Quebec's Labor Relations Commission to grant union accreditation to Wal-Mart workers in
Gatineau "another beautiful victory for the employees of Wal-Mart who want to obtain a trade
union. … This company will have to be made to understand that its employees have the right to
organise and to claim better working conditions."
INDIA: Four left parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the
Communist Party of India led nationwide protests on June 28 against the government's decisions
to raise fuel prices and to privatise portions of state-owned corporations. Speakers denounced the
price hikes, the fourth over the last year, and called for their immediate rollback. They also
demanded an end to the government's disinvestment in publicly owned enterprises.