CGT de los Argentinos

CGT de los Argentinos
Name	CGT de los Argentinos
Founded	1968
Dissolved	1972
Headquarters	Buenos Aires
Location	Argentina
Key people	Agustín Tosco, Raimundo Ongaro, José Alonso

CGT de los Argentinos was a dissident Argentine trade union confederation formed in 1968 that challenged established labor leadership and military-aligned institutions during the late 1960s and early 1970s in Argentina. It emerged from disputes within the General Confederation of Labour and rapidly became a focal point for activists tied to trade unionists, student movements, and leftist parties. The organization linked leading figures from factory councils and regional unions to broader networks in Latin American labor and student struggles.

History

The confederation was created amid tensions following the 1966 military coup and the policies of the Juan Carlos Onganía regime, intersecting with protests such as the Cordobazo and the Rosariazo. Founders and sympathizers drew on traditions from earlier labor disputes including the Infamous Decade era struggles and the legacy of Juan Perón from the 1943 military period through the Peronist Movement. Early activity connected regional hubs like Córdoba, Rosario, and Buenos Aires with national campaigns against austerity measures inspired by José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz-style policy debates. The group coordinated with personalities appearing in episodes like the Vandorismo debates and engaged with factions related to the Argentine Socialist Party, Unidad Popular, and elements of the Montoneros and ERP milieu, though relations varied.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership combined shop-floor leaders from industrial centers and prominent unionists such as Raimundo Ongaro, Agustín Tosco, and José Alonso, alongside regional secretaries from unions including the Vehicle Workers' Union (UOM), Metalworkers', and transport unions in Buenos Aires Province. Committees mirrored structures used in the CGT Azul y Blanca and contrasted with the bureaucratic networks allied to José Ignacio Rucci and José Alonso. Organizational models were informed by experiences in the Automotive industry, the Railways, and the Textile industry, and borrowed tactics from the Italian CGIL and Brazilian labor movements like the CUT analogues, while engaging with international bodies including unions from Spain, Chile, and Uruguay.

Ideology and Political Alignment

The confederation espoused a combination of syndicalism, left-wing Peronism, and anti-bureaucratic socialism, aligning with currents linked to Revolutionary Peronism and sectors within the Justicialist Party critical of conciliatory trade-unionism. Debates inside involved voices from the Communist Party of Argentina, Trotskyist groups, and independent militants inspired by figures such as Evita Perón and theorists like Juan Carlos Dante Gullo. The ideological stance opposed neoliberal programs associated with technocrats influenced by Chicago Boys-style prescriptions and sought alliances with social movements including student groups from the University of Buenos Aires and rural laborers connected to struggles in Provincia de Buenos Aires and the Litoral region.

Key Actions and Strikes

The confederation organized high-profile strikes and mobilizations including general strikes, factory occupations, and coordinated stoppages that intersected with the Cordobazo and subsequent uprisings in Rosario and La Plata. Actions targeted policies implemented by the military regime and later disputes with union leaders during the return of Peronism, including mass demonstrations, pickets at industrial sites like Fábrica Renault, and solidarity campaigns with imprisoned activists arising from incidents such as the Trelew massacre aftermath. Tactical alliances were seen with student-led protests at the Marcha de la Resistencia and with community organizations in neighborhoods like Villa Miseria, contributing to national labor calendars and confrontations involving the Policía Federal Argentina and provincial police forces.

Relationship with Peronism and Government

Relations with the broader Peronist movement were complex: the confederation criticized elements of the Peronist bureaucracy while seeking to recover mass mobilization for workers sympathetic to Juan Perón but opposed to collaboration with military rulers. It contested the legitimacy of Peronist intermediaries such as Héctor Cámpora and clashed with figures like José Ignacio Rucci during reconfiguration of labor power ahead of Perón's return from Spain. The CGT de los Argentinos navigated interactions with administrations influenced by actors like Alejandro Agustín Lanusse and confronted policies tied to businessmen and ministers debated at forums including International Labour Organization-style congresses and regional summits in Mercosur precursor discussions.

Decline and Legacy

Repression, internal fractures, and the reintegration of elements into the mainstream CGT led to the confederation's decline by the early 1970s, especially after the negotiated returns and the rise of Peronist bureaucratic authority exemplified by figures like José Ignacio Rucci and the stabilization of unions during the Perón return. Nonetheless, its legacy influenced later labor activism, including the Piquetero movement, renewed shop-floor democracy initiatives, and debates within the Argentine Left about industrial strategy. Historians and labor scholars reference its role alongside events like the Operativo Independencia and the broader Cold War context in Latin America tied to United States–Argentina relations and Operation Condor discussions. The confederation remains a touchstone in studies of militant unionism, Argentine political history, and comparative labor movements across Latin America.

Category:Trade unions in Argentina Category:Labor history of Argentina