The politics of precarious hegemony in post-crisis Argentina: Precarious work and union strategies during the Kirchnerista era (and beyond)

ELBERT, RODOLFO

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; 36 International Labour Process Conference "Class and the Labour Process"; 2018

Ceil-Conicet/Instituto Gino Germani

The neoliberal experiment in Argentina resulted in the deepest social and economic crisis in the history of the country. In terms of the industrial workplace, labor relations were shaped by rising unemployment, precarious and informal work in the framework of widespread flexibility agreements between companies and unions. After the disastrous crisis of 1998-2002, the country?s economy started to grow as prices for its major exports began to rise. In the context of rapid growth, the Kirchnerista government was able to raise taxes on agricultural exports, stimulate job creation by expanding the domestic market, and support collective bargaining agreements for established labor unions. In terms of the occupational structure, this pattern of economic growth increased the relative weight of salaried industrial workers within the total workforce. What type of labor regime was established in the industrial workplace in Argentina during this phase of economic recovery? What is the relationship between this regime and the larger political and economic dynamics of development in post-crisis Argentina?