Occupation of factories

Occupation of factories is a method of the workers' movement used to prevent lock outs. They may sometimes lead to "recovered factories," in which the workers self-manage the factories.

They have been used in many strike actions, including:

• the 1920-22 Biennio rosso (in particular the Turin factory occupation of 1920)
• 1936 French general strike (see 1936 Matignon agreements)
• in the May 68 revolts, supported by the Council for Maintaining the Occupations
• in the 1970s in Italy (35-day occupation of the Fiat)
• upper Clyde shipbuilder workers staged a work-in during 1971-72 with about 260 further occupations in Britain in the following decade
• the 1971 Harco work-in, Australia
• 1973 Uruguayan general strike
• Lip factory in France in 1973
• the occupation of the ceramics factory formerly known as Zanon in Argentina starting in 2001, that under workers' control changed its name to FaSinPat
• the occupation of the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago in 2008, and the re-occupation of the factory in 2012
• A 77-day occupation of the Ssangyong car factory in 2009
• Current occupation of Viomichaniki Metalleutiki in Thessaloniki, Greece, along the lines of factory occupations in Argentina.

See also

• Sit-down strike
• Bolivarian Circles
• History of Solidarity
• History of Argentina and "Dirty War"