We explain what the labor movement is and what its characteristics are. Also, its origin and expansion, its achievements and ideologies.
What is the labor movement?
The labor movement is a social movement that It is characterized by the association of workers with the objective of improving their living and working conditions through political activity.
The first labor organizations appeared in England in the 18th century as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. At that time, there was no labor legislation and factory owners (social sector called “bourgeoisie”) imposed very harsh conditions on workers (social sector called “proletariat”), such as low wages, 16-hour work days and child labor. .
To improve their living conditions, workers began to organize associations of mutual aid and, later, of struggle so that their labor rights were recognized.
During the 19th century, different theories were developed that analyzed the structural inequality of the capitalist regime and the living conditions of the working class. In that context, Marxism appeared an ideology that established that as long as private property existed, the working class would continue to be exploited by the bourgeoisie.
With the expansion of industrialization in the world, the labor movement diversified and multiple labor organizations appeared. Today, the labor movement is heterogeneous and responds to the needs and conditions of different countries.
See also: Working class
Characteristics of the labor movement
Some of the characteristics of the labor movement are:
- Double fight. The labor movement has two main objectives: the improvement of working conditions and the obtaining of political rights for the working class.
- Dialogue. The labor movement is characterized by promoting a wide number of debates and openness to internal dialogue between different workers' commissions, points of view and ideologies.
- Unions. Workers are grouped into unions, for example, by branch or by company.
- Demonstrations and strikes. The forms of protest most used by the labor movement are the strike (the collective stoppage of the workforce) with and without attendance at the workplace, popular demonstrations and public events.
Origin of the labor movement
The first workers' demands for working conditions arose in England towards the end of the 18th century. Those first claims did not constitute an organized and coherent action. They were a spontaneous response to poor working conditions and the loss of jobs as a result of the incorporation of machines into work processes. These protests were known as “Luddism,” and were characterized by the destruction of machines and work spaces.
Then, some working sectors formed brotherhoods or brotherhoods that had the objective of providing mutual aid in cases of need, dismissal, illness or death. These associations began to protest publicly to make visible the problems of the labor sector:
- Bad working conditions. The work days had no time limit and, in some cases, extended up to 14 or 16 hours. The factories were closed spaces, with little light and ventilation.
- Low salaries. With the mechanization of industry, unemployment increased. This created available labor and allowed employers to lower salaries. In addition, children and women received lower wages for the same work that adult men did.
- Overcrowding. The workers lived in the urban suburbs, in buildings that housed several families per household. Overcrowded conditions and lack of hygiene promoted the spread of diseases.
Given the growth of worker protests, In 1800, the Parliament of England passed the Combinations Acts. These laws prohibited labor grievances and associations. The government began to repress labor organizations and their main leaders were persecuted.
In response, The workers adopted a new form of protest: the strike. This measure implied the collective suspension of work as a forceful measure to pressure employers to comply with their demands.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the first were founded trade unions or unions. These were organizations that brought together workers of the same trade. These were the first expressions of the organized labor movement that, instead of questioning industrialization, focused on the recognition of the basic rights of workers.
Expansion of the labor movement
With the expansion of industrialization, labor movements developed in different countries of Europe. These associations complained about the specific labor and social conditions of their country of origin. Thus, political organizations were created whose main objective was the acquisition of the right to vote and the political participation of the working class.
On the other hand, Towards the middle of the 19th century, scientific socialism appeared: an ideology that analyzed the capitalist social relations of production and assimilated the experiences of exploitation of all working classes. The main exponents of scientific socialism were Karl Marx and Friederich Engels. This ideology promoted the international union of the proletariat (the working class).
Since then, the main events that marked the history of the labor movement were:
The creation of the First International
In 1864, the International Workers' Association (better known as the First International) was founded with the aim of uniting the struggle of European workers, discussing their problems and proposing common actions.
This organization was dissolved in 1876, due to disagreement between Marxists and anarchists.
The Paris Commune
In 1871, an insurrectionary movement of socialist workers took control of Paris and established an independent government called the Paris Commune.
This government lasted only two months, but implemented a series of measures that expressed the different demands of the labor movement: self-government, worker self-management of factories, separation of Church and State, abolition of interest on debts, abolition of child labor and remission of unpaid rents.
The founding of the Second International
In 1889, the Second International Workers' Association was created. In it the social democratic current of the Marxists prevailed and, finally, the anarchists were expelled.
The leaders of the international labor movement fervently opposed the First World War, which they characterized as a war to defend the interests of the national bourgeoisies.
Finally, the Second International was dissolved in 1916.
The Russian Revolution
In February 1917, the revolution broke out that overthrew the Tsar of Russia. In the Russian Revolution, Marxist Bolsheviks who had the support of the workers' movement seized power and founded the first workers' government under the leadership of Lenin.
After the Russian Civil War, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union or USSR) was founded and a communist regime was established. This influenced the future of the labor movement worldwide throughout the 20th century.
The creation of the Third International
In 1920, Lenin founded the Third International Workers' Association with the aim of spreading the workers' socialist revolution throughout Europe and the world.
The organization existed until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, and marked the Soviet influence on the different national communist movements.
Achievements of the labor movement
In the long term, the labor movement achieved international recognition of workers' labor rights. In each country, the achievements occurred at different times and had different characteristics.
In general, the following achievements of the labor movement can be named:
- Limitation of the working day.
- Establishment of minimum wages.
- Prohibition of child labor.
- Promotion of health and essential safety laws in work spaces.
- Right to union organization, strike and protest.
- Improvement of working conditions: retirement, vacations, bonuses and other promotional bonuses.
Ideologies of the labor movement
As a result of the formation of the labor movement, some ideologies emerged that addressed the inequalities and injustices of capitalist society. Among them, the most important were:
Utopian socialism
Some 19th-century thinkers, such as Henry de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen, postulated that, through cooperation between individuals, societies could be formed in which the quality of life improved of the population.
These authors, leaders of utopian socialism, criticized capitalist and industrial society and identified private property as a historical phenomenon (rather than a natural right). Furthermore, they reflected on how to achieve equality of opportunities and living conditions (as opposed to the notion of “legal equality” promoted by liberalism).
Anarchism
The thinkers of anarchism considered that the State oppressed individuals. Its main exponents were Pierre Joseph Proudhon, Max Stirner, Piotr Kropotkin and Mikhail Bakunin.
These authors questioned all types of authority, rejected all forms of social hierarchy and fought to achieve full equality between people.
Marxism or scientific socialism
The thinkers of Marxism or scientific socialism considered that social and political organization was determined by the social relations of production. They maintained that as long as private property existed, the proletariat would continue to be subjugated by the bourgeoisie (owner of the means of production and capital).
Marx and Engels promoted the popular revolution with the objective of establishing a proletarian dictatorship, eliminating private property and organizing a classless society.
document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, (e) => {
var sliderContainer, slider;
sliderContainer = document.getElementById(‘block_f8e0917f92441093eee5a215f31cf946’);
if (typeof initSlider !== ‘function’) {
console.log(‘Swiper haven\’t been loaded’);
sliderContainer.className += ‘ fw scroll-snap’;
return;
};
options = {
direction: ‘horizontal’,
speed: 1000,
slidesPerView: ‘auto’,
// slidesPerGroup: 1,
centerInsufficientSlides: true,
// centeredSlides:true,
spaceBetween: 15,
breakpoints: {
720: {
// centeredSlides: false,
// slidesPerGroup: 2,
spaceBetween: 25
},
},
pagination: {
el: ‘.swiper-pagination’,
type: ‘bullets’,
clickable: true
},
}
slider = initSlider(sliderContainer, options);
})
References
- Ackermann, ME, Schroeder, MJ, et al. (2008). 1750 to 1900; Marxism; Karl Marx (1818-1883), and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895); Socialism; Paris commune. Encyclopedia of World History. Age of Revolution and Empire. Vol IV. Facts on File.
- Hobsbawm, E. (2010). Age of Revolution: 1789-1848. Hachette UK.
- Wilczynski, J. (1981). Anarchism; Socialism. An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Marxism, Socialism and Communism. Macmillan Reference Books.
