Spanish Society and Labor Movements in Early 20th Century
Ideologies and Unions
In the early 20th century, Spain’s labor movement was divided between the socialist UGT and the anarchist CNT. Both unions grew until the Spanish Civil War (1939). The PSOE political party, aligned with the labor movement, gained steady membership and parliamentary representation by 1910, with strongholds in Asturias, the Basque Country, Madrid, and Alicante. In 1921, the PSOE’s youth federation formed the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). The PSOE itself rejected joining the 3rd International, leading to a split and the creation of the Spanish Communist Workers’ Party (PCOE), which later merged with the PCE.
In 1900, the Federation of Workers’ Societies of the Spanish Region was established in Madrid. By 1904, former members founded Solidarity Workers in Barcelona. This Catalan movement led to the creation of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) in 1911. The Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) was founded clandestinely in Valencia in 1927 to promote pure anarchism within the CNT.
The Dynamic Social Labor Movement (1898-1931)
Between 1898 and 1931, social tension remained high. Driven by precarious working conditions, workers’ demands were expressed through strikes and demonstrations, often met with repression, injuries, and deaths. Until 1909, striking was an offense. The labor movement’s evolution can be divided into two stages:
- Pre-1917: Focused on labor demands like prohibiting night work for women, the right to strike, and a 10-hour workday in textiles.
- Post-1917: Inspired by the Soviet Revolution, the UGT and CNT shifted towards broader social change, advocating for general strikes.
On April 3rd, the government in Madrid declared an 8-hour workday. However, Catalan employers and authorities resisted, forming paramilitary groups, initiating factory lockouts, and establishing Free Trade Unions (November 1919). Radical CNT groups responded with armed action, escalating violence.
Free Trade Union activity intensified under Governor Severiano MartÃnez Anido (1920-1922), marked by selective attacks and the law of fugitives. The industrial bourgeoisie, fearing social revolution, supported Miguel Primo de Rivera’s coup. The dictatorship, coupled with a favorable economic context and declining revolutionary movements in Europe, violently repressed social freedoms.
The Condition of Women
Women faced societal constraints and were expected to prioritize reproduction, childcare, and housework.
Inferiority and Difference
In the early 20th century, women were often considered intellectually inferior to men, relegated to domestic roles. Girls received limited education, while men pursued work, politics, and culture. University access for women was limited, though the situation began to change under the Canalejas government in 1910. However, female university students remained below 10% between 1910 and 1930.
Female Workers
Women working outside the home was discouraged. They faced triple discrimination: lower wages, housework burdens, and subservience to their husbands.
Women and the Law
Legal discrimination was evident in marriage laws. In Catalonia (1923), wives were obligated to obey their husbands, who controlled their assets.
The First Signs of Change
The early 20th century saw positive shifts: declining birth rates (suggesting birth control) and women’s increasing access to political and public spheres. Key demands included improved working conditions and access to education and culture.