“International Solidarity Is the Best Way of Achieving the Workers’ Aspirations”: Chilean and Argentine Workers and the Struggle over Gath and Chaves, 1951–52

This paper analyzes the relationship between Chilean and Argentine labor unions during the Gath & Chaves strike of 1951-52, demonstrating that Chilean workers understood international solidarity as one of ways of achieving their aspirations. During the busy Christmas season of 1951, more than 500 sale clerks and workers called an illegal strike in Santiago’s popular department store, Gath & Chaves. Gath & Chaves, a British-Argentine retail business, had opened its first store in Buenos Aires in 1883 and in Santiago in 1910. In Santiago, the store quickly came to symbolize the transformation of Chile’s consumer practices. Less know, however, is how the story of the store and its employees in Santiago intertwined with the history of Argentine workers, how local labor conflicts shaped the company’s decisions in both sides of the border, and how and why Gath & Chaves workers articulated a discourse of international solidarity that challenged traditional political alliances.  

The 1951-52 strike was sparked by rumors that British investors were planning to close down its Chilean store. Facing a costly illegal strike and heavy political repression, Chilean leaders sought the support of Buenos Aires. Argentine labor unions, which were embarked in their own dispute with Gath & Chaves, supported the strike Santiago, using it as an opportunity to undermine the presence of British capital as well as to advertise the achievements of Peronist labor legislation. This solidarity was highly criticized by Chilean political authorities and cautiously observed by British diplomats. Despite these criticisms, Chilean workers invited Argentine leaders to Santiago and celebrated their mutual victory. Through the story of the Gath & Chaves strike, this paper explores how international solidarity worked at the local level.