Spanish Workers’ Strike of 1917: Causes and Demands
The 1917 General Strike in Spain: A UGT-CNT Movement
This text, dated March 27, 1917, originating from the *Correos de Madrid* (Madrid Mail), details a communication regarding an impending general strike by the workers’ movement, specifically a coalition of the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) and the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT). It focuses on government and central administration workers. The core message is the announcement of a general strike, reflecting shared economic and social grievances.
Background: Pre-War Protests and the Impact of WWI
Paragraph D highlights that worker protests and complaints in Spain before the First World War were less intense than those that followed. The outbreak of WWI triggered a series of revolutions, protests, and livelihood crises, fueled by unemployment and the war’s broader impact. The Spanish proletariat, comprising industrial workers (primarily from the Basque Country and Catalonia), miners (Basque Country and Asturias), and agricultural laborers, set aside ideological and political differences to form two major organizations: the UGT and the CNT.
- UGT (General Union of Workers): Linked to socialist ideologies.
- CNT (National Confederation of Labor): Aligned with anarchist principles, becoming the most influential Spanish anarcho-syndicalist organization, reaching 30,000 members at the beginning.
These unions formed a coalition, combining socialist and anarchist ideologies.
Government Neglect and the Call for a General Strike
The third paragraph describes the government’s disregard for workers’ demands, ignoring both the workers and their respective unions and political parties. According to the workers, the most effective revolutionary instrument was a general strike against the government. This was a response to the government’s failure to establish positive rights for workers and the proletariat.
Prior attempts at negotiation, including claims presented by workers and a general union assembly in Valencia, had no effect. This led to the joint decision to proceed with an indefinite strike. The strike aimed to reclaim workers’ rights and compel the ruling classes to accept conditions that would improve civic life and the overall quality of life for the proletariat.
The Path to Revolution
The final paragraph emphasizes the workers’ commitment to using all means necessary to reclaim their rights. This included organized riots, demonstrations, acts of banditry, and attacks on institutions. The context is set within the period of the Restoration in Spain (1917), a time marked by three significant crises:
- Military Crisis: Discontent within the army, particularly among mid- and low-ranking officers, regarding the promotion system.
- Political Crisis: Displeasure with the government and opposition to authoritarian government decrees.
- Social Crisis: Widespread mobilizations by workers in Madrid and industrial/mining areas, met with harsh repression by the army and police. The outcome was 70 deaths, 200 wounded, and 2,000 prisoners (including members of the strike committee).
Aftermath and the End of the Restoration
Although the strike was controlled, a wave of protests and demonstrations against the government ensued, supported by opposition parties and the Joint Defense. This ultimately led to the resignation of the government and the formation of a coalition government, a first since the beginning of the Restoration. The final years of the Restoration were marked by increased social and economic conflict. The end of WWI led to higher unemployment and lower wages. The Russian Revolution served as a stimulus for workers’ struggles, channeled through unions, and violence became radicalized, exemplified by the “dirty war” and the Bolshevik Triennium (1918-1921).