Second Industrial Revolution & Workers' Rights Evolution

The Second Industrial Revolution: A New Era

The late 19th century marked a period of profound transformation, often referred to as the Second Industrial Revolution. This era brought significant advancements that reshaped economies and societies across the globe.

Timeline and Global Impact

• When: Primarily by the end of the 19th century.
• Where: Its influence spread across Europe, Japan, and North America.
• What Happened: New industrial changes dramatically improved Western economies and global production capabilities.

Key Innovations and Changes

This period was characterized by several groundbreaking developments:

• New Energy Sources: A shift from coal and steam to more efficient sources like oil and electric energy.
• Highly Developed Industrial Sectors:
  • Chemical Industry: Innovations in medicines, dynamite, and other chemical products.
  • Transport Industry: The advent of underground trains, trams, and early automobiles.
  • Electronic Industry: Foundations laid for modern electronics.
  • Iron and Steel Industry: Continued advancements in metallurgy.
• New Communication Systems: Revolutionary inventions such as the telegraph (by Samuel Morse) and the telephone.
• New Industrial Centers: A geographical shift in industrial power, with Germany, the USA, and Japan emerging as major players, alongside or surpassing Britain.
• Mass Production Methods in Factories:
  • Taylorism: Developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor, this system pushed the division of labor to its extreme, optimizing efficiency through scientific management.
  • Fordism or "Assembly Line Production": Pioneered by Henry Ford, this method required workers to perform repetitive tasks in a fixed position for extended periods, significantly increasing output.

The Workers' Movement: Demanding Rights and Change

The rapid industrialization of the 19th century, while bringing economic growth, also created harsh working conditions that fueled the rise of the Workers' Movement.

Causes of the Movement

Workers faced severe exploitation and deplorable conditions:

• Factory Conditions:
  • Dirty, unhealthy, and dangerous workplaces.
• Worker Exploitation:
  • Excessively long working hours.
  • Very low wages.
  • Lack of basic rights, including paid holidays and unemployment benefits.
  • Prohibition of strikes.
• Living Conditions:
  • Lived in dark, dirty neighborhoods, often referred to as "rotten boroughs."
  • Resided in small, overcrowded houses.

The Rise of Trade Unions

Initially, outraged workers expressed their discontent by destroying machinery, a movement known as Luddism (named after the mythical Ned Ludd).

• The freedom of association was officially recognized in Britain in 1824.
• This recognition led to the formation of the first trade unions in Britain.
• Soon after, trade unions spread across the European continent.
• In Spain, the UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores) was the first major trade union, founded by Pablo Iglesias in 1888.

Socialism and Anarchism: Ideologies of Change

The desire for fundamental societal change led to the development of powerful political ideologies.

The International Workingmen's Association

• In 1868, Karl Marx, a German philosopher, founded the International (an international association of workers).
• Its primary aim was to defend workers' rights and improve their dire situation.
• The International soon divided into two main ideological groups:
  • Socialists: Led by Karl Marx.
  • Anarchists: Led by Mikhail Bakunin.

Socialism: Marx's Vision

Following Karl Marx's doctrine of the Class Struggle, socialists believed that history is fundamentally driven by conflict between social classes:

• The Bourgeoisie: Those who own the means of production and capital.
• The Proletariat: The exploited working class.

To overcome this exploitation, Marx urged workers to establish Socialist Parties. Many such parties were founded globally:

• Germany: The SPD (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands), or Social Democratic Party.
• Britain: The Labour Party.
• Spain: Pablo Iglesias founded the PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) in 1879.

Anarchism: Bakunin's Call for Freedom

Mikhail Bakunin was the leading figure in the anarchist movement. Anarchists advocated for a society free from all forms of authority:

• They opposed all types of rule, power, and state structures.
• Consequently, anarchists typically did not participate in elections or form political parties.
• Their methods included provoking riots, organizing boycotts and demonstrations, strikes, and, in some instances, committing terrorist attacks.
• The main anarchist trade union in Spain was the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo).