‘We are proud of what we have done, without help from the unions or from the state,’ says Marcelo Castillo, president of the metallurgical plastics IMPA co-operative. He’s being modest – they are more than independent: they are pioneers and helpers.
The company, which currently makes goods ranging from cosmetic containers to plates for four-colour printing and foil for champagne bottles, was actually taken over by its employees some years before the 2001 financial crisis.It has since given free help to thousands of workers looking to run their factories themselves, when bankruptcy, lockouts and sell-ups threatened.
