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Trade unions in medium-sized textile and machine-building cities

Book Contribution - Chapter

Subtitle:Ghent, bielefeld and monza, 1890-1914

This chapter focuses on comparing the conflicting expectations of trade union organization. It discusses three examples of textile and machine-building cities: Ghent, Bielefeld and Monza - medium-sized cities with common features. The trade unions of machine-builders and hatters were fairly strong. One of the main types of industrial city in early nineteenth century was the textile city. From 1820s onwards a machine-building industry developed, which manufactured textile machinery and highly specialised engines. Modern industry was introduced in Ghent around 1800 when merchants and cotton printers set up cotton spinning mills. During the crisis of 1830s the cotton entrepreneurs helped to set up huge mechanical linen factories. The cotton and metal industries were family-based, which may explain the paternalistic attitude of some Ghent entrepreneurs. By 1913 the Ghent labour movement was admired by Belgian and foreign observers for its many achievements. The ideology of Ghent and Belgian reformism may be found in the writings and actions of socialist party.

Book: The Emergence of European Trade Unionism
Pages: 91-120
Number of pages: 30
ISBN:9780815397717
Authors:International
Accessibility:Closed