Origins of the labour movement in Elche: the 1903 espadrille-workers’ strike

Abstract

At the end of the 19th century, within the broader process of industrialization that was spreading across Europe, Elche underwent a profound economic and social transformation, particularly embodied in the consolidation of its footwear industry. The investment of landowning elites in this new productive sector generated a substancial demand for labour, which was largely absorved by women, children and agricultural day labourers transitioning away from the countryside. Although home-based production -the predominant organizational form in the area- initially hindered worker cohesion, the shared reality of precariousness and abuse ultimately fostered the emergence of an incipient class consciousness. The general strike of 1903 symbolized the maturity attained by Elche's labour movement: the conflict brought the city to a standstill for months and, despite internal divisions, it strengthened the collective identity of the working class. Thus, Elche emerged as an exemplary case of social transformation driven by labour activism in the Spanish Mediterranean context.