Spain's 1917 General Strike: Labor's Fight for Rights

The General Strike: A Tool for Change

The General Strike was threatened as a necessary measure if the situation for workers did not improve. It acted as a powerful weapon because it prevented the bourgeoisie from profiting from the exploitation of the labor movement when workers refused to work.

The 'measures deemed appropriate' alluded to actions such as:

• Derailing trains and trams
• Threatening owners of stores that remained open during the strike (scabs)
• Picketing (where subversive groups sometimes used violence against scabs)
• Proclaiming an indefinite strike

An example involved women carrying republican flags who forced shops to close.

Historical Context: Seeds of Unrest

This societal struggle had been ongoing for a long time. Consider the Revolutionary Sexenio (1868-1874), which attempted to overthrow the oligarchic regime of the Isabelline reign and establish a democratic system based on universal suffrage.

During the subsequent Restoration period, increased industrialization and urbanization led to a growing number of workers demanding their rights. Although the ideas of the First International had spread among workers during the Sexenio, the labor movement experienced significant growth during the Restoration. This period saw the development of ideologies focused on claiming workers' rights.

Different approaches emerged: Anarchists often led strikes, while Socialists tended to participate in electoral processes.

The August 1917 General Strike

The strike was called in August 1917, and measures were implemented. However, it ultimately failed.

Reasons for Failure

The strike's failure stemmed from several factors:

• Division between socialists (UGT) and anarchists (CNT)
• Insufficient propaganda efforts, meaning the movement did not reach the farmers
• Lack of unified action between the two unions in many areas
• Absence of support from the bourgeoisie (who feared for their property)
• Suppression by the army, which arrested leaders

Leaders were initially sentenced to life imprisonment, although they were later granted amnesty and released.

Reflections on the Workers' Struggle

In my opinion, the demands for workers' rights by the UGT and CNT were justified. Workers needed decent conditions and stability.

Despite the General Strike's failure, I believe the workers' actions were admirable, as they claimed what was rightfully theirs. Furthermore, the government's victory was temporary, as the eventual collapse of the system seemed unstoppable.