Workers
At its peak, Anglo employed directly almost 5,000 people, acccomodated in a town of 12 thousand inhabitants. By the closing date, there were still 1,500 people in activity.
By Frigorífico Anglo, Museum of the Industrial Revolution
Frigorífico Anglo, Museo de la Revolución Industrial
Workers from 60 countries
Many immigrants worked in the Refrigerator, in fact around 60 nationalities are present in the registers, where Spanish, Italians, Bulgarians, Poles and Russians prevail.
Cracklings milling (Around 1930)Frigorífico Anglo, Museum of the Industrial Revolution
The youngest ones, once they finished primary school, could start working in the plant, so they got ready at the gates of Anglo where they hoped to be selected.
Differences
A look at the outfit is enough to recognize the rank of each employee. Veterinarians, for example, wore overalls and leather shoes.
The pawns, in general, were barefoot and with sleeves rolled up which allowed them to be more comfortable when handling the cattle.
Centrifuges for meat desiccation and production of pork cracklings (1930s)Frigorífico Anglo, Museum of the Industrial Revolution
Some signs of what was the implementation of human relations within this company can still be found. Some notices on the walls referred to the importance of teamwork and the need for each worker to put aside concerns which did not belong to the workplace.
United workers
In 1942, the Workers' Union of Río Negro, a subsidiary of the Autonomous Meat Industry Union, was formed, claiming, among other things, better conditions and wages. In 1956, the workers joined a national demand and organized a march on foot to the city of Montevideo. This movement got the company to start giving 2 kilos of meat per person, per day.
Museo de la Revolución Industrial.
Laboratorio de Visualización Digital Avanzada (Vidialab, Fadu, Udelar): Fernando da Silva Nuñez, Ana López Boccassino, Gabriela Barber Sarasola.
Archivo del Sodre.
