Raimundo Ongaro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raimundo Ongaro
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| Secretary General of the General Confederation of Labour of the Argentines | |
| In office March 30, 1968 – September 16, 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Francisco Prado |
| Succeeded by | Adelino Romero |
| Secretary General of the Buenos Aires Printworkers Federation | |
| In office December, 1984 – April 15, 2016 |
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| Succeeded by | Héctor Amichetti |
| In office November 13, 1966 – May, 1975 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | February 13, 1924 Mar del Plata, Argentina |
| Died | August 1, 2016 (aged 92) Los Polvorines, Argentina |
| Occupation | Union leader |
Raimundo José Ongaro (born February 13, 1924 – died August 1, 2016) was an important union leader in Argentina. He served as the main leader, called Secretary General, of the General Confederation of Labour of the Argentines (CGTA) from 1968 to 1974.
Contents
Early Life and Union Work
Raimundo Ongaro was born in 1924 in Mar del Plata, a city on the coast of Argentina. His family was of Italian background. He learned Latin and music composition. Later, he became a printer, working at COGTAL, a large publishing company in Argentina.
Ongaro became active in the Buenos Aires Printworkers' Federation (FGB). In 1966, a military government took over Argentina. This new government created policies that were not good for workers. Because of this, Ongaro took over the leadership of the FGB in November 1966.
This move was not popular with José Alonso, who led the larger CGT. The FGB was one of 62 unions in the CGT. Ongaro had to find allies within the CGT. At first, only Amado Olmos, a sanitary workers' leader, supported him.
Other powerful CGT leaders, like Augusto Vandor and Rogelio Coria, tried to work with the military government. However, the government attacked the CGT headquarters in March 1967. This attack was meant to stop a planned general strike. This event showed many union leaders that working with the government was difficult.
In early 1968, Ongaro traveled to Cuba. There, he met Argentine journalist Rodolfo Walsh. Ongaro then introduced Walsh to Juan Perón, a former Argentine leader living in exile in Madrid. Perón agreed with Ongaro that trying to talk with the military government would not work.
The government had already taken control of eight CGT unions. In March 1968, the CGT held elections for its leader. It was a contest between Vandor and Ongaro, who had Perón's support. Ongaro also gained support from leaders of unions that the government had taken over, like the railway workers' Lorenzo Pepe.
Forming the CGTA
On March 30, 1968, Ongaro was elected Secretary General of the CGT. However, Vandor did not accept the result, and the government's Labor Minister canceled the election. This stopped Ongaro from taking office.
Because of this, Ongaro, Rodolfo Walsh, and many supporters formed a new group. They called it the Argentine CGT (CGTA). They announced this new union group on May 1, which is International Labor Day.
Ongaro used his publishing background to create a weekly newsletter for the CGTA. This newsletter became well-known for covering both local and international news. For example, its first issue reported on the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.. Filmmakers also made documentaries about the CGTA.
Many leaders from the official CGT also supported the CGTA. One important supporter was Agustín Tosco, a light and power workers' leader from Córdoba Province. The military government strongly opposed the CGTA. Over the next year, about 5,000 of its members were arrested across the country.
In May 1969, Tosco supported a strike by autoworkers in Córdoba. This led to a harsh government response on May 29. The riots that followed became known as the Cordobazo.
Challenges and New Paths
The Cordobazo made the government even tougher on unions. Tosco and many others were arrested. On June 30, Augusto Vandor was mysteriously killed. This event gave the government a reason to arrest Ongaro and ban the CGTA.
Despite these challenges, Ongaro's struggles caught the attention of the International Labour Organization. They elected him as a member of their administrative council. After being released from prison in January 1972, Ongaro ended the CGTA because it could no longer operate. He then started a new independent union called the Argentine Printworkers' Sindicate (SGA).
Ongaro also focused on the return of Juan Perón from exile. He created a political group called "Basic Peronism," which supported leftist ideas.
Difficult Times and Exile
The military government eventually decided to hold free elections in March 1973. Perón's party won easily. However, Ongaro's independent union and his leftist views made him a target. A far-right group called the Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance (Triple A) began to threaten him.
Ongaro's family home in Los Polvorines, a suburb of Buenos Aires, was often raided. These raids were done without punishment. In one instance, Mrs. Ongaro suffered a miscarriage.
In September 1974, Ongaro organized a meeting to support a sugarmill workers' strike. He met with former CGTA allies, including Agustín Tosco. They formed a committee to help unions that were being targeted. In March 1975, Ongaro and others from this committee were arrested.
While in prison, Ongaro learned that his teenage son, Alfredo Máximo Ongaro, had been killed. When Ongaro was released on August 29, he was sent to Lima, Peru. His wife and other children had already left days before. The prison warden took special steps to prevent Ongaro from being kidnapped and killed by the Triple A.
The next day, the leader of Peru was overthrown. This made it harder for Argentine exiles to stay there. So, Ongaro moved to Spain in June 1976.
Spanish supporters and European media helped the Ongaro family. They returned to Argentina in March 1984, after the country became a democracy again.
Return to Union Leadership
Ongaro was reelected as Secretary General of the FGB. The FGB was still Argentina's largest print workers' union, with about 25,000 members. Ongaro was welcomed back into the CGT.
Ongaro had been known for standing strong against policies that hurt workers. However, he agreed with the CGT's support for President Carlos Menem in 1989. Menem's policies were not always favorable to workers. Ongaro also did not speak out against Menem's decision to pardon those who led Argentina's last military government. This government was responsible for serious human rights abuses between 1976 and 1979.
During the 1990s, many companies in Argentina were bought out or merged. Ongaro kept a low profile during this time. For example, when Editorial Atlántida, a major magazine publisher, was taken over in 1998, Ongaro did not oppose the merger. This caused some disagreements between Ongaro and the union members. Despite this, he continued to be reelected as their Secretary General.
Ongaro led the FGB, Argentina's largest print workers' union, since 1966. He became one of the most experienced and respected labor leaders in Argentina.
See also
In Spanish: Raimundo Ongaro para niños
