Cuban Labor Movement: Strikes, Congresses, and the FOH (1917-1920)
The Development of the Cuban Labor Movement (1917-1920)
Between 1917 and 1920, Cuba experienced a significant number of strikes across the nation. The main demands of the Cuban workers to employers included:
- Increased wages
- Improved working conditions
- The definitive establishment of an 8-hour workday
The government, headed by Mario Garcia Menocal, violently repressed the strike movement in coordination with Cuban businessmen, landlords, and American companies.
The First National Workers’ Congress (1920)
In mid-April 1920, the First National Workers’ Congress was held, free of government influence in its organization and working sessions. Labor leader Alfredo Lopez played a prominent role.
While Alfredo Lopez may not be considered a Marxist, as Carlos Balino defined him, it is fair to acknowledge that despite his reformist ideas, he played a vital role in the organization of the Labor Congress and, more importantly, in the foundation of the Federación Obrera de La Habana.
Lopez was an honest person who gathered the working masses mainly because of his great energy and combative history.
The Labor Congress of 1920 differed significantly from the one held in 1914. In 1920, for the first time in Cuban history, representatives of all proletarian organizations from across the nation met to expose the demands of the working class and draw a common line of confrontation with the national bourgeoisie and American investors.
The main significance of this Congress was its independence from politicians and those passing themselves off as representatives of the people’s interests. For that reason, most Cuban historians believe that it was the first genuinely Workers’ Congress held on the island of Cuba.
The Federación Obrera de La Habana (FOH)
On November 26, 1920, the Federación Obrera de La Habana (FOH) was founded in Havana under the auspices of Alfredo Lopez. It was considered the strongest and broadest union of the time, uniting 18 of the most important workers’ groups in the city and the entire province.
Because Alfredo Lopez was not a Marxist, the main demands of the working class under the FOH were purely economic, including:
- The struggle for an 8-hour workday
- Wage increases
- Equal pay for men and women for equal work
- Reducing child labor to 6 hours
The FOH united the Cuban labor movement, enabling it to demand the implementation of its economic demands from employers. It also served to educate and train honest leaders in the fight against capitalist exploitation.
The organization and subsequent activity of the FOH in the fight against the bourgeoisie strengthened the feeling of unity and solidarity among the proletarians of Havana. This was the basis for the Cuban proletariat to take a step higher in 1925 by creating an organization working at the national level: the CNOC.