Porto Maghera Strike and Its Impact in Employment Relationship - Essay Example

? Porto Maghera Strike and Its Impact in Employment Relationship Client’s School Affiliation xx January Porto Maghera Strike and Its Impactin Employment Relationship The labor condition of the United States of America today will never be the same if not for the various battles and protests our countrymen fought for. Indeed, the labor history of America is extensive and extended episodes of human drama which are deemed important and necessary towards the emancipation of American workers. The established labor laws and rules were somehow abusive and clear violations to human rights (Rayback 1966). The power was centralized within the organization leaders and the laborers were controlled at all cost to institute fear, thus ensure compliance. However, with the continuous fights that the American laborers went through and the unceasing cause that they all stood up for, slowly the labor condition in the history of the United States changed dramatically in favor of the common people. True that these changes and improvements caused difficulties, struggles, and even lives. As America learned to unite and formed unions to battle against discrimination and prejudice, gain the right to representation, and utilize the collective bargaining process as the heart of their actions, the American workforce eventually found success in building a strong labor movement that brought the labor industry as to what it is today. Labor movements are products of intense yearning for equality and balanced control between the management and the employees. The unequal power that exists within a workplace and the institution that dominate an organization often lead to oppressed and exploited workers. In time, these workers will break out from these abusive power relations and institutionally prescribed rules to instigate changes in their roles as workers, thus labor unions or strike. As labor historian Jeremy Brecher said: “In periods of mass strike, workers act outside of institutionally prescribed roles. They reinvent themselves as historical actors and as part of a group making history together. When workers strike and otherwise withdraw their cooperation from existing institutions, they reveal that those institutions are not the fixed things they appear – that in reality they depend on the living human beings whose activity makes them up. Win or lose, mass strikes reveal the truth about social relations hidden in an alienated society.” (Brecher 1997, p. 275) In this paper, the subject of strike or labor union will be explored in terms of how it changes and improves the course of labor conditions, specifically when it comes to employee relations and roles of taken on by the management and the employees. This discussion, however, will not focus on the American labor history, but rather on the general impact that labor union brings to the society and working conditions of people. In order to successfully present the topic, the case of Porto Marghera workers will be examined through the documentary film Porto Marghera: The Last Firebrands (2004) to find out how the workers of Porto Marghera struggled for better working conditions and eventually improved employee relations. Porto Marghera: The Last Firebrands (2004) Porto Marghera: The Last Firebrands (2004) is a documentary film detailing the historical encounter of independent workers’ union in the industrial region of Venice, Italy during the late 60s and early 70s. This film features the real life experiences of the worker-activists at Porto Maghera petrochemical works and outlines the intricate and often on edge relations between employees and political militants and shifting class organization through crucial instances of fights. This documentary shows how radical formation of political unions and ideologies towards their liberation from abusive working environment led the workers at the plant to challenge the conventional labor power structure and capital and change the course of labor condition in their favor. In the film, the featured petrochemical workers in the massive industrial zone surrounding Venice boldly narrated their experiences as they took matters about their toxic and intolerable working circumstances into their own hands. There were, in fact, various concerns in hand—extremely long hours of work, low wages, power structure that sets white collar against blue, and issue on job permanency versus contractual work—which sparked the workers’ protest against the organization’s way of managing its people. The industrial zone of Porto Marghera was also known for its highly dangerous factory operation that clearly put the health and life of its workers at great risk, which was another reason for the workers’ eventual revolution. The management, on the other hand, remained on the offensive side against the mutual opposition of unions, international organizations, and state during the late 60s and early 70s. Yet, this offensive approach of the Porto Marghera factory management only resulted to an accumulated crisis that further motivated the worker-activists to fight for their rights. The History behind the Porto Marghera Strike It was during the early 1960’s when Italy managed to come back from its deep recession due to the increasing wage demands of the labor force. However, the country’s economic come back marked an introduction of new abusive system of extended and forced work time and excessive overtime, not to mention the drastically increasing instances of work-related accidents (Porto Marghera – the last firebrands 2004). Sadly, the rising work demands from the people did not equal the compensation they received from their employers. The workers’ salary was far behind the kind and amount of job they were required to perform. This kind of exploitative labor system resulted to a reduced number of employees, cut down investment, but a recorded increase in production. Therefore, the labor condition during this time mostly favored the capitalists because they took all the money and the employees took all the difficult works. Not long after, various large Italian corporations monopolized the industry and immediately created an intense political factor into the subject of working class struggle. The gap between the working class (the blue collar employees) and the professionals (the white collar employees) further widened. In addition, the wage difference between those individuals who worked in large and small organizations became very significant. Therefore, the professionals and other office employees managed to enjoy all the benefits they got from their employers while the blue-collar endured the exploitative working conditions that they were into and additionally suffer the unequal social stratification. It was in the beginning of 1968 when the Italian working class eventually realized their huge contribution to the development that the country was enjoying, hence started to claim their portion of this development. A nationwide revolution against the capitalist abusive treatment of the working class came into existence. There were strikes all over Italy and all of these were to challenge the traditional and established power structure and employee relations within organizations. Specifically in the Petrolchimico factory in Porto Marghera, a total of 4,000 blue collar and 1,000 white collar employees went on a violent revolt wherein strikers burned hurdles on the access road in exchange for an additional 5,000 Lire for all the workers’ production bonus (Porto Marghera – the last firebrands 2004). The struggle of the Porto Marghera’s workers continued until early 1970’s. The worker-activists were able to prove their important and crucial contribution to the factory’s production because they indeed brought production to a total stalemate. In addition to exploitative working conditions of the strikers, they were also able to show the damaging effects of the capitalist production to their health and life. The Struggle in Porto Marghera Continued The Petrolchimico factory in Porto Marghera was built as initially the chlorinated soda department which eventually processed other chemical compound like vinyl chloride. Majority of the workers in Porto Marghera originated from the rural regions of Venice and therefore obtained their skills from their own experiences and self-cultivation as opposed to the management of the company who mostly came from a labor hierarchy practice. As narrated in the documentary film, the working environment in Porto Marghero was extremely difficult and exploitative. Most of the workers were left with no choice but to endure all the harassments to keep their job. They were usually assaulted by the foremen and worked within a severe control management by the factory security. If any employee was caught doing something that displeased the management, the reason did not have to be valid and just at all times, the employee would be reprimanded immediately. The management of Porto Marghera was clearly offending and inexcusable. It fired people without any acceptable reason and fair hearing. It subjected its workers to stern paternalism and to the best of its capabilities broke whatever chance of unity was developing between workers. Little did the Petrolchimico management know of the flickering will of its workers for emancipation and equality that, instead of breaking them, made their relationship even stronger. Labor unions within the factory rose steadily and their unity towards fighting for better working conditions became their ultimate goal. As the unions started to communicate their demands for change in their working environment, the management still handled to repress its workers by transferring people to another site or internal department compulsorily in order to prevent daily contact with fellow workers. Yet, these repressing tactics of the management only intensified the desire of the workers to fight for their rights and demand for changes. It took the worker-activists many fights and different demonstrations to argue for the equality of blue and white collar employees and 5000 Lire increase in production bonus for every worker in the company. With the help and cooperation of other workers and students, the Porto Marghera’s workers brought their fight to the streets and crusaded all across Italy for the revision of the existing wage agreement. They battled for a minimum wage increase to 120,000 Lire from 55,000 Lire, a set number of working hours, holiday pay, and medical coverage at equal levels for all workers in the nation (Porto Marghera – the last firebrands 2004). The society’s so-called “wage zone”—in which the salary of people depended on the region where they came from—was also challenged by the protesters. Another important aspect of the Porto Marghera protest was that the workers-activists were able to voice out the health risks that they were facing due to the nature of their job and chemical compounds present in their workplace. The increasing health damage in Petrolchimico became intolerable for the workers. People in the factory died everyday due to poisoning and accidents, and unfortunately the company faced minimal responsibility for the damages and losses. “…already 750 poisoned workers at the end of 1972. At the CR department the noise and vibrations caused by the huge compressors are unbearable. After eight hours of work, the workers lose their sense of balance” (Porto Marghera – the last firebrands 2004, p. 58). The workers pointed out that they went to the factory to work and earn a living for their family and not to kill themselves for money. Therefore, the protesters fought against the established rules of the company specifically pertaining to the long work hours and excessive overtime. They managed to battled for set number of working hours that would be enough for the workers to earn the money they needed and the company to meet their production requirement. Furthermore, the protesters further argued that limiting their working hours and not forcing them to do overtime if they did not approved it would lower their susceptibility to health hazards present in the factory: The workers do not go to the factory to conduct inquiry but because they are forced to. Work is not a way of life, but the necessity of selling oneself so as to survive. By fighting against work, against the coercion to sell ourselves, we offend against all rules of society. And by fighting for less work, so as not to die of poisoning through work any more, we fight against health hazards. Because it damages one’s health to get up every morning and go to work, it is harmful to keep to the work cycles, to the methods of production, it is harmful to do shift work, it is harmful to go home with a wage that forces you to go back to the factory the next day. (Porto Marghera – the last firebrands 2004, p. 59) The Outcome of Porto Marghera Protest The outcome of the Porto Marghera protest left a significant impact in the working environment and relationships of the Petrolchimico workers. Due to the constant effort of the protesters and their unceasing cry for equality and better working condition, these workers eventually, although it was a prolonged process, achieved what they were fighting for. The massive strikes and various demonstrations that Porto Marghera workers conducted resulted to increased capital which was accompanied by a positive transformation in the employees’ working and living circumstances. After the extended process of revolts and rallies, the lives of the workers of Petrolchimico were finally considered not just a quantitative matter but, most importantly, a qualitative concern that needed to be addressed and taken into consideration at all times. Through these series of strikes, the workers managed to compel the administration of Petrolchimico to alter its power structure and redesign it based on appropriate and ample consideration of its workers’ living condition. The labor unions of Porto Marghera played a crucial role in the success of their battle against the management of the factory. With the boldness and constant effort of the worker-activists, the common good was achieved that uplifted the working conditions of the Porto Marghera’s employees. Although the labor unions were confronted with big names in the industry, they were never intimated and controlled by the daunting power of the management. They continuously fought what they believed was right, managed and negotiated appropriately with their members and the factory’s management, and heard out and carefully considered all the challenges in hand to eventually achieve success. The Porto Marghera strike corroborated what Jeremy Becher claims about mass strikes in which people reinvent themselves and together act against the predefined rules and laws of the labor industry. Certainly, the Porto Marghera strike proved that employment relationship and the existing roles assumed by the workers and management are transformable in a manner that can be beneficial for all parties involved. Conclusion The current labor laws are present indeed to establish conformity and compliance within organizations. The management wants to keep it this way to maintain and develop its power because this concurs with the development and increase of capitalism. Capitalism entails conservation of this power relation against the working people to control and repress their political endeavors. As much as possible, the management will implement laws that will curtail the freedom of its employers to think politically against the various inequalities and manipulations that exist in the organization. Therefore, as proved by the Porto Marghera strike incident, it is important that the employees realize the need for creating an organization, or union, which is capable of challenging the management’s political control, and assuming all the power and will required to instigate change. Bibliography Brecher, J 1997, Strike!, South End Press, Cambridge, MA. Porto Marghera: The Last Firebrands 2004, viewed January 16, 2012, http://libcom.org/files/firebrands_booklet_2.pdf Rayback, JG 1966, A history of American labor, Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York, New York. Read More