Spain 1917: UGT & CNT Manifesto Against WWI Inequality
The 1917 UGT & CNT Manifesto in Spain
This manifesto, primarily with economic and social content, was drafted by the General Union of Workers (UGT) and the National Labor Confederation (CNT) in 1917 with the goal of achieving the widest possible distribution.
Context: WWI Economic Impact on Spain
The UGT, with its socialist ideology, and the CNT, with its anarchist ideology, drafted this text to highlight the situation in Spain and the serious social damage caused by the economic policy adopted by Spanish companies to enrich themselves during the First World War.
While Spain maintained neutrality in the European conflict, it was a very important supplier of raw materials and manufactured goods to other European countries. The Catalan and Basque industrial areas were particularly enriched. Spain became so wealthy it could expect to pay off its large foreign debt and became a place of refuge for European capital, which was unsafe on the old continent.
From this perspective, this period should have been one of great prosperity for all sectors of Spanish society, but it was not. This situation only served to allow major industries to make great fortunes and continue their enrichment. The popular classes not only failed to benefit but were adversely affected by rising prices for staple items, such as food.
The Call for a General Strike
Given this great disparity in the distribution of wealth and the profound injustice subjected upon much of the Spanish population, these unions made decisions summarized in two points:
- Due to the inactivity of the parliament and employers regarding workers’ rights, and their failure to implement changes ensuring a dignified minimum standard of living for the people, a general strike was identified as the solution to demand fundamental rights.
- From the time of this manifesto’s publication, the various union organizations were to prepare for the moment when utilizing the general strike as a defense mechanism would be required.
Luis Gómez Llorente’s Role
Luis Gómez Llorente began his political activity in the University Socialist Group, joining the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in 1958, where he became Secretary of Education and Training and a member of the Executive Committee, as well as being active in the UGT.
The August 1917 General Strike and Its Aftermath
Finally, on August 13, 1917, a general strike was held. Initially, some results were obtained, but like any organization of the time (whether unionist, governmental, or otherwise), its main problems were internal, specifically concerning union organization.
In areas with a stronger CNT presence, demonstrations were more violent, while in areas dominated by the UGT, strikes were more moderate. These methodological and ideological differences eventually led to the breakup of the alliance between the two labor groups.
Legacy and Political Consequences
In conclusion, it is important to highlight the social changes driven by the labor movement, both socialist and anarchist, as membership in their organizations increased over time.
However, these incidents failed to dismantle the political system of the Restoration era, which persisted despite its ongoing degenerative trend, owing to its flexibility and the social changes occurring in Spain. But this situation would change shortly thereafter with the coup d’état led by Primo de Rivera.