Early Labor Movements: Origins, Impacts, and Ideologies
Early Labor Movement: Causes and Consequences
The working conditions in early factories were harsh: 14-hour workdays without rest and low pay. Mechanization led to increased unemployment, particularly among manual workers and weavers. As a result, workers formed associations to protect their income, but these were soon banned in England and France (e.g., the 1791 Le Chapelier Law).
Early Worker Movements
Luddism
Luddism was a radical labor movement that opposed machines and industrialization, blaming them for unemployment and low wages. Named after their supposed leader, Captain Ned Ludd, Luddites destroyed machinery. They initiated the first workers’ associations, such as:
- Mutual Aid Societies: These groups supported workers during illness or unemployment and organized early strikes, funded by membership fees. Their protests in Great Britain led to the repeal of the Combination Acts in 1824 and the recognition of the right to association.
- The Grand Trade Union (GTU): Formed in 1834, the GTU advocated for workers’ rights and production cooperatives, influenced by Owen and Utopian Socialism. However, government crackdowns and employer resistance hindered its progress.
Chartism
Chartism was the first worker-led political movement, emerging in Britain due to the persecution of GTU members. Chartists believed workers should participate in politics to influence legislation. Their main objectives, outlined in the People’s Charter of 1838, included universal male suffrage, secret ballot, and salaries for Members of Parliament, enabling worker participation in politics.
Mid-19th Century Ideologies
Utopian Socialism
Utopian socialists aimed to transform capitalist society into a more just and equal one, either peacefully or through violence.
- Charles Fourier proposed Falansterios, farming communities where property was collective and tasks were shared. Some were established in the U.S.
- Robert Owen organized worker cooperatives without owners or wages, providing accommodation, gardens, schools, and stores.
- Babeuf and Blanqui believed social equality could only be achieved through violent revolution and a revolutionary dictatorship.
Marxism
Marxism, or scientific socialism, emerged mid-century, named after Karl Marx, who, with Friedrich Engels, published the Communist Manifesto in 1848. It outlined the principles of class struggle and the eventual overthrow of capitalism.
Anarchism
Anarchists, like socialists, saw the Industrial Revolution as unjust and in need of reform, but they sought to dismantle the state entirely. Key tenets included:
- Libertarian Ideology: Anarchists aimed to eliminate not only the capitalist economy but also the power of the state, including government, army, authority, religion, and any concept of God.
- Key Thinkers:
- Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: Considered private property as theft.
- Mikhail Bakunin: A prominent anarchist ideologue who disagreed with Marx on several points, particularly the role of the state. Bakunin opposed all forms of state power, while Marx advocated for a transitional proletarian state.
International Workers’ Associations
The First International (AIT)
The International Workingmen’s Association (AIT) was founded in London in 1864 to emancipate the working class, achieve political power, establish socialism, and dismantle bourgeois society. Organized into national chapters led by a General Council headed by Marx, the AIT faced internal divisions, particularly between Marx and Bakunin, with industrialized countries generally supporting Marx and agricultural countries (including Spain) supporting Bakunin.
The Second International
The Second International was established in Paris in 1889, comprising socialist parties. It aimed to spread democracy, achieve political power, and regulate the labor market to address issues like sexual discrimination. The Second International also established key symbols of the worker movement, such as May Day and the international anthem.
Achievements of Labor Movements Before WWI
Labor movements achieved significant gains before World War I, including:
- Minimum age for child labor
- Prohibition of night work for women
- Maternity leave
- Compulsory insurance for sickness, disability, or old age
- Reduction of working hours (8-10 hours in workshops and mines)
Anarchist Practices
Anarchist Communism
Anarchist communism, championed by thinkers like Errico Malatesta and Peter Kropotkin, was a radical current advocating for individualism, direct action, and a classless society based on voluntary work, mutual support, and collective ownership of the means of production and goods.
Anarcho-Syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalists advocated for collective action through union organization.