On This Day in Working Class History

On 12 November 1918, 250,000 men and women began a general strike across Switzerland. The government had deployed troops in the streets, in the wake of revelations in Germany and Russia, as a pre-emptive measure, which provoked a short protest strike on November 9, which later escalated. The workers formulated numerous demands, which were relatively moderate considering the revolutionary situation in other countries: immediate new elections on the basis of proportional representation; the introduction of women’s suffrage; a general duty to work; the 48-hour working week; democratic reforms of the army; adequate food supply; state pensions for the elderly and disabled; state monopolies in export and import; as well as coverage of the national debt by the rich. 95,000 troops were brought in to defeat the strike, and on 13 November the government issued an ultimatum. The next day, union leaders decided to end the general strike in order to prevent further escalation. That same day, after the strike ended, three people in Grenchen were killed by troops. In the aftermath of the strike, over 3500 workers – including many rail workers – were charged with various crimes. 147 workers ended up getting convicted by military tribunals.While the strike was widely considered a failure, it did result in a significant reduction in working hours, to 48 hours, in 1919, and employers and the government began negotiating much more widely with unions.Women did not get the right to vote until 1971. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8342/250,000-swiss-general-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 10 November 1933, the recently-formed Independent Union of All Workers at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota, voted to go on strike for better pay and union recognition. Union officials intended to use the strike vote to negotiate a deal, however as soon the workers voted in favour of action, they rushed from the meeting to the plant and began calling out their colleagues. The following day they occupied their plant, and within three days they had won. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8232/hormel-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 9 November 1962 dock workers in Manila walked out on strike demanding a cost of living adjustment be included in their contract.Authorities ordered cargo ships heading for Manila to instead be diverted to other ports like Cebu. But dockers in Cebu refused to handle cargo from the diverted ships.On the evening of November 10, the Labor Secretary began deploying troops to the harbour, but as he did so the Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization reached an agreement with employers for a cost of living pay increase of 30 pesos per month.Workers at the port would walk out again on November 19 demanding guarantees that their contract would remain intact when the port was privatised. This stoppage was also successful. But subsequent moves by the government to invalidate this contract set the scene for a much bigger dispute in 1963.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11172/manila-cost-of-living-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 8 November 2004, nickel smelter workers in New Caledonia went on strike in protest over the firing of two co-workers for previous strike activity. The strike lasted 22 days and ended when both workers were rehired. The strike cost the company over $40 million before they considered reversing their decision. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10848/new-caledonia-nickel-workers'-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 7 November 1988, workers at the Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (National Iron Metallurgy Company) of Brazil began a sit-in strike for a pay increase and for the reinstatement of workers sacked for their political beliefs. Two days later the army and police raided the plant, shooting and beating dozens of workers and killing three. A monument to the victims (pictured) by Oscar Niemeyer was bombed the day after it was unveiled. It was later discovered that the army was responsible for the attack.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10747/brazil-csn-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 6 November 1912, the Grabow lumber mill in Louisiana was burned to the ground. Four months earlier it had been the location of a massacre caused when bosses opened fire on striking workers. The workers, many of them organised in the Brotherhood of Timber Workers, part of the Industrial Workers of the World, fired back and after the dust settled four people were dead and 50 injured. The fire was officially designated as an "accident" and no one was arrested.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10654/grabow-mill-arsonOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 5 November 1811, enslaved people in Saint-Leu, in the then-British colony of Bourbon island (now the French colony, Réunion), rose up in rebellion.Enslaved Africans, Madagascans and Creoles working on the land, and as domestic workers and in manufacturing, armed themselves with spears, axes and two stolen guns, and began deserting their workplaces. The rebels did not pillage or burn enslavers' property, or physically attack anyone. But eventually armed landowners assembled paramilitary forces, including "loyal" enslaved people, and with their superior weaponry, defeated the rebel forces in an open confrontation, killing several dozen and capturing 150 people.Despite the peaceful nature of the revolt, 15 of those captured were publicly beheaded in March 1812. In response to this, numerous enslaved people began escaping from their plantations.Réunion reverted to French rule in 1814, and slavery was eventually abolished in 1848.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7964/saint-leu-enslaved-revoltOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 4 November 1910, in a prelude to the Champagne riots of the following year, several grape growing communes in the Champagne region of France decided to stop paying taxes. Growers were angry at Champagne producers driving down prices, and importing cheaper grapes from elsewhere in Europe to make their "Champagne," and so they wanted the government to legislate that Champagne had to be made mostly from grapes from the region. A few months later on January 17, simmering discontent erupted into violence when growers in the village of Damery intercepted a truck of imported grapes and threw it into the river Marne. Growers then raided the warehouses of a producer they considered "fraudulent,", and raised a red flag at the town hall. Protests, including singing of the Internationale, escalated to a full-blown insurrection. The government responded by initiating a nine-month occupation of the area by 40,000 troops, but they did implement the law protesters had demanded. Today, in Europe, there remain strict rules on what can be labelled "Champagne" and it must come from the Champagne region.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10466/champagne-tax-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On 3 November 2017 around 20 workers at the Delap Marshall Islands Fishing Venture (MIFV) went on strike. MIFV claimed that the strike was based on a false allegation that they had withdrawn the ability of employees to buy fish on credit from their salaries. They claim that one employee was denied a purchase because he had not worked sufficient hours.The Marshall Islands Journal reported that when "the employee was told he couldn’t charge fish, he became angry and told coworkers MIFV administration had stopped allowing employees to charge fish against their pay. The individual rounded up a group of workers for a meeting last Thursday night, and with the help of alcohol, pulled a successful strike the following day."In retaliation, the company fired two workers the following week.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7945/marshall-islands-fish-strikeOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

On this day, 2 November 1917, the UK government issued the Balfour declaration, announcing its official policy to facilitate "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".The founder of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, had approached Britain for support for of establishing a Jewish ethnostate in Uganda or Palestine because “the idea of Zionism, which is a colonial idea, should be easily and quickly understood in England.” The 1920s British governor of Jerusalem, Ronald Storrs, explained that the establishment of a colony would be “forming for England ‘a little loyal Jewish Ulster’ in a sea of potentially hostile Arabism”. It would also help protect access to the Suez Canal and Britain’s South Asian colonies.Many antisemites who believed that Jewish people did not belong in Europe also supported the move. Arthur Balfour himself had passed the Aliens Act of 1905 to stop Jewish people fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe seeking refuge in Britain.Zionists established groups such as the Jewish Colonial Trust and the Jewish Colonisation Association (JCA) to raise money for Jewish settlers to purchase land and establish colonies in Palestine and other places like Argentina. When much public opinion turned against colonialism, the JCA renamed itself the Jewish Charitable Association.Leading Zionists like Vladimir Jabotinsky were clear about what their project entailed:“Every native population in the world resists colonists as long as it has the slightest hope of being able to rid itself of the danger of being colonised. That is what the Arabs in Palestine are doing, and what they will persist in doing as long as there remains a solitary spark of hope that they will be able to prevent the transformation of ‘Palestine’ into the ‘Land of Israel.’"Zionist colonisation… can proceed and develop only under the protection of a power that is independent of the native population – behind an iron wall, which the native population cannot breach."More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11643/balfour-declarationLearn more about British colonialism and Palestinian resistance in episodes 86-87 of our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e86-87-class-struggle-in-palestine/And learn more about Palestinian history in these books: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/palestineOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History