The ILO and the Latin American dictatorships: an introductory approach to the study of the Case 842 against Argentina

Abstract

This article explores the Case 842 opened in March 1976 at the offices of the International Labour Organization (ILO), in Switzerland, against the Argentinean military government for freedom of association violations. The materials collected in the Case, because of its exceptional richness, make it an invaluable source for understanding both the international actions of the so-called PRN and its relations with the Argentinean trade unions' leadership, the internal and external oppositions and the ILO. Focusing first on the complaints received by the Organization, secondly, on the Argentinean responses plus the strategy deployed by the PRN and its civil allies and finally on the actions undertaken by the ILO, we will review the dynamics of the Case and demonstrate that important questions remain open.

Keywords

• Argentina (1976-1983)
• Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
• Caso 842: Gabriel Osvaldo Martínez
• Antonio Vitaic Jakasa