Labor Movement: History, Ideologies, and Social Impact
The Birth of the Labor Movement
The industrial mode of production caused the disappearance of guilds and the impoverishment and destitution of artisans. The emergence of economic liberalism resulted in very harsh living conditions for workers. These conditions were characterized by:
- Working very long hours (up to 14 hours).
- Lack of safety and health at work, leading to common accidents and diseases.
- Exploitation of women and children.
- Lower, often subsistence, wages.
- Free dismissal without compensation or benefits.
- No holidays or social security.
- Prohibition of workers’ associations to defend their interests.
This situation gave birth to the labor movement, which went through the following stages:
– Stage 1: Luddism: Characterized by workers destroying machines, which they considered responsible for their situation. The movement was severely repressed.
– Stage 2: Trade Unions: Local workers’ associations of the same trade, attempting to improve working conditions. They were legalized and outlawed alternately.
– Stage 3: Chartism: Named for the People’s Charter, a document that workers sent to the English Parliament with thousands of signatures, calling for better working conditions and universal suffrage. These requests were ignored.
In parallel, following the ideas of some thinkers, utopian socialism emerged, opposing capitalism but proposing unrealistic solutions to labor problems.
Modern Development of the Labor Movement
During the nineteenth century, the labor movement reached a high level of development, accompanied by new forms of struggle such as the general strike. Revolutionary ideologies emerged, including:
– Marxism: A political ideology based on the thinking of C. Marx and F. Engels, developed in their works Capital and The Communist Manifesto. This ideology advocates ending capitalism through class struggle. When workers achieve power, class society disappears, and the means of production are collectivized.
– Anarchism: An ideology developed by J. Proudhon, although its main leader was M. Bakunin. This ideology advocates total individual freedom and opposes any form of government and authority. It also defended the abolition of private property. Their ideal social organization was the commune (a self-contained group of free individuals where everything is shared). Anarchists did not hesitate to use violence to achieve their goals.
International Workers’ Associations
In the 1860s, workers’ associations realized that workers’ problems were the same in all countries. They decided to create international associations to coordinate the struggle of workers worldwide. Until 1914, there were two such international workers’ associations, which failed due to the split between anarchists and communists and the onset of World War I.
Social Changes
Social changes occurred due to economic and productive shifts. The main changes were:
- Guild-based class society disappears.
- A new class society appears, where the main differentiating factor is money.
- The rise of the bourgeoisie and the emergence of a new social class, the proletariat (workers paid a salary in exchange for a job).
The Development of Cities
During the nineteenth century, cities grew dramatically due to population increase and rural exodus, caused by lack of opportunities in the countryside and the concentration of industries in cities. This population growth led to urban and social changes, including:
- Segregation of neighborhoods by social class.
- Development of new urban infrastructure (public transport, sewage systems, public buildings, etc.).
Characteristics of Society
The society that emerged in this era had the following features:
- All are equal before the law.
- No equal rights (no universal suffrage).
- Cliques disappear, and there is a possibility of social mobility.
Modern Development of the Labor Movement
During the nineteenth century, the labor movement reached a high level of development, accompanied by new forms of struggle such as the general strike. Revolutionary ideologies emerged, including:
– Marxism: A political ideology based on the thinking of C. Marx and F. Engels, developed in their works Capital and The Communist Manifesto. This ideology advocates ending capitalism through class struggle. When workers achieve power, class society disappears, and the means of production are collectivized.
– Anarchism: An ideology developed by J. Proudhon, although its main leader was M. Bakunin. This ideology advocates total individual freedom and opposes any form of government and authority. It also defended the abolition of private property. Their ideal social organization was the commune (a self-contained group of free individuals where everything is shared). Anarchists did not hesitate to use violence to achieve their goals.
International Workers’ Associations
In the 1860s, workers’ associations realized that workers’ problems were the same in all countries. They decided to create international associations to coordinate the struggle of workers worldwide. Until 1914, there were two such international workers’ associations, which failed due to the split between anarchists and communists and the onset of World War I.