Belgian general strikes - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Belgian general strikes were a peculiar phenomenon of the social, economical and political life in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

due to huge concentrations of workers in the Belgian Cities as Ghent

Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...

, Antwerp, mainly in Wallonia, in Charleroi

Charleroi

Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...

and Liège

Liège

Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....

but also in other places in the Walloon Sillon industriel

Sillon industriel

The sillon industriel is the former industrial backbone of Wallonia and thus of Belgium. It runs across Wallonia, passing from Dour, in Borinage, in the west, to Verviers in the east, through Mons, La Louvière, Charleroi, Namur, Huy, and Liège, following the valleys of the rivers Haine, Sambre,...

, e.g. the Centre

Centre (Wallonia)

The Centre is the name of an important basin of the Sillon industriel in Wallonia between Mons and Charleroi . Its most important town is La Louvière...

and the Borinage

Borinage

The Borinage is an area in the Walloon province of Hainaut. The provincial capital Mons is located in the east of the Borinage. In French the inhabitants are called Borains...

etc. On 4 May 1869, Karl Marx

Karl Marx

Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...

thought that In some great military states of ontinental Europe, the era of strikes may be dated from the end of American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

And according some authors, Belgium is likely the first industrial country - or at least one of the first one - a General strike

General strike

A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...

succeeded, the Belgian general strike of 1893

Belgian general strike of 1893

The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....

.. Marcel Liebman

Marcel Liebman

Marcel Liebman was a Belgian Marxist historian of political sociology and theory, active at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.- Biography :...

quoted César de Paepe

Cesar De Paepe

César De Paepe was a medical doctor and a prominent syndicalist whose work strongly influenced the Industrial Workers of the World and the syndicalist movement in general...

who - in 1890 - was writing : The general strike who seemed formerly an utopia, will be possible in Belgium... . Carl Strikwerda wrote the Belgian general strike of 1893

Belgian general strike of 1893

The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....

was the first general strike in Europe

Myth or reality

The English Chartists

Chartism

Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...

regarded the general strike as the mean to squeeze a general suffrage out of bourgeoisie and as the way to socialism. The First International proclaimed the strike of people against the war. The Geneva Congress

Congress of Peace in Geneva

In 1867, the French pacifist Charles Lemonnier convened the Congress of Peace in Geneva, known as the International League of Peace and Liberty...

of the International Alliance of Bakuninists

Mikhail Bakunin

Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin was a well-known Russian revolutionary and theorist of collectivist anarchism. He has also often been called the father of anarchist theory in general. Bakunin grew up near Moscow, where he moved to study philosophy and began to read the French Encyclopedists,...

stated the general strike was the main weapon of the proletariat, as well as the French syndicalists

Syndicalism

Syndicalism is a type of economic system proposed as a replacement for capitalism and an alternative to state socialism, which uses federations of collectivised trade unions or industrial unions...

. But Paul Frölich wrote that in the same time there were actually general strikes in Begium and for instance the Belgian general strike of 1893

Belgian general strike of 1893

The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....

for Universal suffrage

Universal suffrage

Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...

which succeeded and opened the door of Parliament to representatives of the Belgian working class . This successful general strike was likely due to the Belgian Socialists , one of the most successful Socialists movements in the world ' This general strike for Carl Strikwerda was the first general strike in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, or, more accurately in a whole country in Europe even if it was as small country but the Second industrial power in proportions to its population and its territory.

Karl Marx

Karl Marx

was severe about the suppression of he strikes in Belgium, of course, before the Belgian general strike of 1893

Belgian general strike of 1893

The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....

There exists but one country in the civilised world where every strike is eagerly and joyously turned into a pretext for the official massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...

of the working class. That country of single blessed-mess is Belgium! the model state of continental constitutionalism, the snug, well-hedged, little paradise of the landlord, the capitalist, and the priest. The earth performs not more surely its yearly revolution than the Belgian Government its yearly men's massacre. The massacre of this year does not differ from last year's massacre, but by the ghastlier number of its victims, the more hideous ferocity of an otherwise ridiculous army, the noisier jubilation of the clerical and capitalist press, and the intensified frivolity of the pretexts put forward by the Governmenta butchers. (Le tter to Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels
Friedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...

, 4 May 1869)

Which kind of general strike?

Gerhart Niemeyer distinguished five end-means configurations in the debates of the Second International

Second International

The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...

: general strike about constitutional changes; anarcho-syndicalist strike against the existing order in order to dissolve it ; the general strike as a preparation to the revolution; the one-day strike on 1 May; the general strike against an international war. He summarized himself these different kinds of general strike: (1) the action of a newly rising social group in making its way to political power and a position of influence; (2) the total rejection of the existing society and the breakthrough to a new life; and (3) the gestation and mobilization of a new supranational force capable of arresting the evils of the contemporary society without total revolution He quoted the general strike in Belgium of 1893 as successful but wrote the general strikes in Holland collapsed with disastrous consequences, in Sweden did not attain the desired results, in Italy was politically unproductive (but not socially), in Russia the experience underscored the suitability of the general strike as a decisive revolutionary action. It seems that the Belgian general strike's kind of 1893, 1902, 1913 was the (1). Even if it is possible the Walloon Jacquerie of 1886

Walloon Jacquerie of 1886

The Walloon jacquerie of 1886 was a working class jacquerie of a bloody spring as many Walloon scholars are calling it This violent upheaval of the Belgian, especially Walloon proletariat, caused a profound psychological shock in an atmosphere of fear of an inevitable and explosive social...

was the (2). And a renardist

Renardism

Renardism is a theory specific to the socialism based on the thought of André Renard, combining Syndicalism and Walloon militancy.In a speech on November 17, 1960 at Charleroi, in front of a large gathering of syndicalists, André Renard partly explained the tactical aspects of his theory as...

foreshadowing?

Friedrich Engels the disciple of Marx was absolutely not in favour of this kind of general strike. He wrote to Léo Frankel on 24 April 1891 he was hoping that the second congress of the Second International is in jeopardy because of the absurd Belgian official line on the general strike.

Table of general strikes and other strikes in Belgium (1893-1961)

Carl Strikwerda wrote : I believe that Belgian strikes until the 1960s took an almost unique force. They were, at least partially, political strikes which were, however, rather unlike those of France and Italy. In their form Belgian strikes most resembled general strikes: very large, moderately long, and relatively infrequent.This distinctive strike form lasted only until the 1960s, when a peaceful labor relations system replaced it.

[Of course this table doesn't include the Walloon Jacquerie of 1886.]

Date	Demands	Industry (ies)	Strikers	Years's Total	Duration	Location	Estimated Days Lost
1893	Universal suffrage Universal suffrage Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...	Belgian general strike of 1893 Belgian general strike of 1893 The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....	200,000	?	7 days	general General strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...	1,200,000
1897	Change of work rules	coal	18,945	35,948	24 days	Hainaut, Liège	450.000
1899	Wage Wage A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees... increase	coal	12,842	57, 931	43 days	Hainaut, Liège,	450,000
1901	end to wage cuts	dock workers	15,000	43, 814	19 days	Antwerp	285,000
1902	end to plural vote Universal suffrage Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...	Belgian general strikel of 1902	250,000	260,000	7 days	'general General strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...	+ 1,500.000
1905	wage increase	coal Coal mining The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...	51,789	75, 672	47 days	Hainaut Liège	3,500,000
1910	wage increase	coal	13, 700	26, 289	35 days	Hainaut, Liège	480,000
1911	change work rules	coal	23,000	55,316	+ 30 days	Liège	+800,000
1912	wage increase	coal	25,800	61,654	+ 30 days	Hainaut	+ 800,000
1913	end to plural vote Universal suffrage Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...	Belgian general strike of 1913	375,000]	391,000	10 days	general General strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...	+ 3,500,000]]
1920	wages & solidarity	coal & metals Ironwork Ironwork is any weapon, artwork, utensil or architectural feature made of iron especially used for decoration. There are two main types of ironwork wrought iron and cast iron. While the use of iron dates as far back as 4000BC, it was the Hittites who first knew how to extract it and develop weapons...	66,500	289,190	c. 10 days	Namur & Liège	6,650,000
1923	Wages	coal and iron	44,477	104,980	c.18 days	Hainaut & Liège	1,890,000
1925	wages	metals	58,104	81,422	c.35 days	Namur & Liège	2,000,000
1932	Wages & coll barg. Collective bargaining Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...	coal, then Belgian General strike of 1932	140,000]] to 166,000	160,000 to 190,000	30 days	Hainaut general General strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...	4,100,000
1936	wages Trade Union's recognition Trade union A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with... & 40 hr. wk.	dockers, mining, Belgian General strike of 1936	520,000	560.000	20–30 days]	Antwerp, Hainaut , General strikel	11,300,000
1950	Royal question Leopold III of Belgium Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...	General strike against Leopold III of Belgium General strike against Leopold III of Belgium The Royal Question refers to the 1950 political conflict surrounding the question whether King Leopold III should return to Belgium after World War II. A referendum was organised, in which the majority voted in favour of his return...	500,000	650,000	6 days	general General strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...	3,000,000
1957	end to wage restraints	metals	183,000	339,055	9–12 days	general	2,350,000
1957	?	construction	72.000	339,055	c. 10 days	general	795,000
1959	protest	coal & general	76,176 140,000	123,473		Hainaut, Liège	514,000 (Hainaut), 1,050, 000 (Liège)
1960–1961	Protest "Loi unique Austerity In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...	1960-1961 Winter General Strike 1960-1961 Winter General Strike 1960–1961 Winter General Strike was the most important strike of the 20th century in Belgium and was called the Strike of the Century. Its triggering factor was Eyskens' government introducing a number of austerity policies under the general name Loi unique...	340,000	360,000	34 days	general General strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...	5,150,000

Consequences of the strong general strikes in Belgium

Some general strikes failed: there were not any actual and immediate results of these movements as for instance after the Walloon Jacquerie of 1886

Walloon Jacquerie of 1886

, the general strikes of 1902 and 1913 which were demanding the end of the plural vote (in the framework of the Universal suffrage obtained in 1893) and an actual one man, one vote universal suffrage. On the contrary, the General strike against Leopold III of Belgium

General strike against Leopold III of Belgium

The Royal Question refers to the 1950 political conflict surrounding the question whether King Leopold III should return to Belgium after World War II. A referendum was organised, in which the majority voted in favour of his return...

forced this king to abdicate. The 1960-1961 Winter General Strike

1960-1961 Winter General Strike

1960–1961 Winter General Strike was the most important strike of the 20th century in Belgium and was called the Strike of the Century. Its triggering factor was Eyskens' government introducing a number of austerity policies under the general name Loi unique...

regarding the main motivation of the strike the Loi unique (a programm of Austerity

Austerity

In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...

), failed, but was the beginning of a strong regionalist

Regionalism

In politics, regionalism is a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal...

movement in Wallonia and of the Renardism

Renardism

List of the Belgian general strikes

Walloon Jacquerie of 1886
Walloon Jacquerie of 1886
The Walloon jacquerie of 1886 was a working class jacquerie of a bloody spring as many Walloon scholars are calling it This violent upheaval of the Belgian, especially Walloon proletariat, caused a profound psychological shock in an atmosphere of fear of an inevitable and explosive social...

(many reasons and among them universal suffrage)
Belgian general strike of 1893
Belgian general strike of 1893
The Belgian general strike of 1893 was ordered by the General Board of the Belgian Labour Party after the Belgian Parliament rejected the Law Proposal on universal suffrage....

(universal suffrage) Successful but a toned down universal suffrage (plural votes given to some voters) was only instituted.
Belgian general strike of 1902 (end of plural vote). Failed.
Belgian general strike of 1913 (end of plural vote). Failed.
Belgian general strike of 1932 (wages and collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...

).Successful.
Belgian general strike of 1936 (wages, 40 hours week, trade union'recognition). Successful.
General strike against Leopold III of Belgium
General strike against Leopold III of Belgium
The Royal Question refers to the 1950 political conflict surrounding the question whether King Leopold III should return to Belgium after World War II. A referendum was organised, in which the majority voted in favour of his return...

Successful: Leopold III's abdication.
1960-1961 Winter General Strike
1960-1961 Winter General Strike
1960–1961 Winter General Strike was the most important strike of the 20th century in Belgium and was called the Strike of the Century. Its triggering factor was Eyskens' government introducing a number of austerity policies under the general name Loi unique...

, against Loi unique
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...

failed but the strike reinforced Walloon Regionalism
Regionalism
In politics, regionalism is a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal...

and Walloon claim for Federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...

Myth or reality

Which kind of general strike?

Table of general strikes and other strikes in Belgium (1893-1961)

Consequences of the strong general strikes in Belgium

List of the Belgian general strikes

See also