Confederación Nacional del Trabajo

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Name	Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Native name	Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Founded	1910
Type	Trade union
Headquarters	Madrid
Key people	Buenaventura Durruti; Federica Montseny; Salvador Seguí
Ideology	Anarcho-syndicalism; anarchism; libertarian socialism

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo

The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo is a Spanish trade union federation founded in 1910 associated with anarcho-syndicalism and anarchism. Rooted in early 20th-century labor movements around Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia, it played a central role alongside organizations such as the CNT-FAI milieu, the National Confederation of Labor (CNT) milieu, and contemporaries like Unión General de Trabajadores and Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas. The organization influenced figures such as Buenaventura Durruti, Federica Montseny, and Salvador Seguí and engaged with events including the Tragic Week (1909), the Spanish general strike of 1917, and the Spanish Civil War.

History

The federation emerged amid Spanish labor disputes involving Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, coalitions of workers in Catalonia, and interactions with syndicalist currents exemplified by the Syndicalist Congresses and the International Workers' Association. Early leaders like Salvador Seguí connected to struggles around the Can Tunis strike and the aftermath of the Tragic Week (1909). During the 1920s and the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera, activists faced repression from institutions including the Civil Guard (Spain) and the Military Governor of Barcelona, leading to exile and underground activity in cities such as Valencia and Seville. The 1930s brought alliances and tensions with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and the Spanish Communist Party, culminating in the federation's prominent participation in the Second Spanish Republic period, the revolutionary incidents of May 1937 in Barcelona, and the armed conflict of the Spanish Civil War. Under the Francoist Spain regime following 1939, members experienced imprisonment in places like Carabanchel Prison and exile to regions including France and Mexico, while anti-Franco resistance connected them to networks involving the French Resistance and postwar anarchist exiles.

Organization and Structure

The federation historically structured itself through local syndicates and regional federations in provinces such as Catalonia, Andalusia, and Valencian Community, coordinating via national congresses and committees influenced by models from the International Workers' Association and syndicalist practices found in the Confédération Générale du Travail and Industrial Workers of the World. Internal governance featured rotating delegates, local assemblies, and federative coordination resembling the organizational experiments seen in the Makhnovshchina and Free Territory (Ukraine). Prominent internal currents included the Anarchist Federation tendency and affinity groups comparable to those later active in the Iberian Anarchist Federation. The federation engaged with mutual aid organizations such as the Red Cross during wartime and negotiated workplace actions across sectors including railways linked to the Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha, shipping with the Spanish Merchant Navy, and agriculture in areas like Andalusia.

Ideology and Principles

Rooted in anarcho-syndicalism and influenced by theorists associated with Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, and Errico Malatesta, the federation advocated direct action, workers' self-management, and the abolition of hierarchical institutions typified by monarchist structures like the Bourbon Restoration and authoritarian regimes exemplified by Primo de Rivera. Its principles intersected with libertarian socialist critiques articulated alongside activists such as Federica Montseny and Buenaventura Durruti, and engaged with debates involving the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, the Communist International, and the Anarchist International. Doctrinal disputes over participation in state institutions mirrored tensions with organizations like the Unión General de Trabajadores and led to schisms reminiscent of splits in the Socialist International.

Activities and Campaigns

The federation organized strikes, workplace occupations, and mutual aid projects, coordinating actions during events like the La Canadiense strike (1919), the 1917 general strike, and industrial campaigns in Barcelona and Asturias. It supported collectivization efforts in agricultural collectives across Aragon and industrial collectives in Catalonia, cooperating with militias such as columns associated with Durruti Column during the Civil War. The organization published newspapers and periodicals in the tradition of libertarian presses that included titles akin to Solidaridad Obrera and participated in cultural initiatives alongside groups like the Cultural Center of Barcelona and artists influenced by Federico García Lorca. International outreach connected the federation to activists and networks in France, Argentina, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

Role in Spanish Civil War and Franco Era

During the Spanish Civil War, the federation played a major role in revolutionary governance, collectivization, and militia formation in regions including Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia. It interacted with republican institutions of the Second Spanish Republic and confronted forces such as the Nationalist faction led by Francisco Franco, with battles including the Battle of Teruel and the defense of Madrid shaping its wartime experience. Internal conflicts with the Spanish Communist Party and incidents like the Barcelona May Days strained alliances with other anti-fascist groups including the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification and the Socialist Youth. After Franco's victory, members faced repression via the Spanish State Tribunal and imprisonment in facilities such as Porlier Prison, while exile communities formed in France and Mexico City. During the Franco era, clandestine organizing intersected with dissident efforts including those of the Democratic Union of Catalonia and later shaped opposition leading into the Spanish transition to democracy.

Contemporary Presence and Influence

In the post-Franco period and the restored constitutional monarchy of Spain, the federation reemerged legally and operated alongside organizations such as Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores, promoting campaigns on labor rights, housing linked to movements like PAH (Platform for People Affected by Mortgages), and anti-austerity protests associated with Indignados movement and the 15-M Movement. It maintains federations in regions such as Catalonia, Madrid, and Andalusia, affiliates with international networks like the International Workers' Association, and engages in solidarity with movements in Greece, Chile, and Argentina. Contemporary activists draw on historical figures such as Buenaventura Durruti and texts by Errico Malatesta while participating in workplace struggles in sectors including education at institutions like Complutense University of Madrid and transport represented by Madrid Metro workers. The federation's influence persists through cultural memory projects, archives housed in centers similar to the International Institute of Social History, and commemorations of episodes such as the La Canadiense strike (1919) and the May 1937 in Barcelona.