Occupation of factories: Difference between revisions

'''Occupation of factories''' is a method of the [[workers' movement]] used to prevent [[lock out]]s. They may sometimes lead to "recovered factories,", in which the [[workers' self-management|workers self-manage]] the [[factories]].

Radical unionism started after the first world war. The movement was a result of increasing internal commissions or "faculty councils. Around November of 1918, the councils/commissions had morphed into a national problem. By February 1919, the federation of Italian metal workers had successfully received a contract permitting these commissions in their factories. In May of 1919, these commissions began to transfer into councils that were managing the factories and were dominating the power structure of said workplaces. The contract also prevented democratic elections of these council members or "stewards.". In April 1920, at Fiat, there was the beginning of sit-in strikes by the workers, which eventually grew to 500,000 workers striking at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://libcom.org/history/articles/italy-factory-occupations-1920|title=1918-1921: The Italian factory occupations and Biennio Rosso|website=libcom.org|access-date=2016-04-22}}</ref>

In France in January 1936, the PCF, a Stalinist communist organization spurred the creation of a coalition of radicals called the "popular front.". This organization was designed to defend democracy and disassemble fascist bonds. In May 1936, the popular front won a majority election and assembled a cabinet of 18eighteen socialist, 13thirteen radicals, and 4four independent socialist to govern. Communists supported the leaderrLeon Blum but refused to join the cabinet. This change in power was spurred by a massive general strike in the years preceding where thousands of factories had been occupied by French workers to ensure said democratic governance. Blum effectively ended the strike when this government came to power.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.workersliberty.org/node/6469|title=1936: “The French revolution has begun”|last=B|first=Simon|website=Workers' Liberty|access-date=2016-04-22}}</ref>