General strike of the winter 1960-1961

The general strike of the winter 1960-1961 started against the programme of austerity of the Belgian government of Gaston Eyskens, lasted six weeks and paralyzed mainly the Wallonia, the resumption of work being massive in Flanders after a few days. Traditional social conflict between Trade unions and a political power eager to rectify public finances by austerity measures, in particular by restrictions on the social plan, “the strike of the century” deeply marked at the same time the Walloon Mouvement and the perception of Wallonia by itself and the remainder of Belgium because of contrast between the continuation of the strike in the south of the country and its relatively fast breathlessness in north. The strike constitutes a kind of Walloon awakening because of this disparity and because as of the conclusions as drew some the Walloon trade union leaders.

Historical context

The strike takes seat during the time which follows the defeat at the polls of the government of Achille Van Acker, “laic government” grouping socialist (PSB) and liberals. Since the September 3rd 1960, Gaston Eyskens directs a coalition government of center-right grouping social-Christians (PSC) and liberal (PLP). “ Released from governmental opportunism, the Socialists left their political lethargy. The Walloon fever took again at once. ” A Walloon congress was held with Liege in 1959. The Walloon Socialists met in Namur in June 1959. In December 1959, with the congress of the PSB, the trade unionist André Genot (which will succeed André Renard with the head of the MPW) was ovationné and its speech “was madly acclaimed by these even which had decried Van Acker and which entonnèrent a " Internationale" spontaneous and virulent directed against a gloomy and embarrassed Office.”. The 13, of held a Assemblée of the socialist elected officials of Wallonia with Saint-Were useful which affirmed for Wallonia the right to lay out of itself and which they placed their mandates at the disposal of the Party. The selected terms indicate the gravity of the step which is besides without precedent since, never up to now, the Walloon socialist deputies had not met without their Flemish counterparts to make a public statement

A sharp criticism of this orientation here even:

This social movement violate though concluding itself by an at least political failure (the austerity will be voted at the Parliament), was going to find a new energy in the claim of the federalism by the majority of the Walloon labor movement, this one seeing the way there of rectifying the regional economy. The government resigned after the exhaustion of the strike, but the socialist party left reinforced showdown.

Consequences of the strike

This strike will lead to the claim of Walloon autonomy and reforms of structures for better controlling the Walloon development and consequently facing the economic difficulties of the Wallonia. The creation of the Walloon Popular movement (MPW), as of January 1961, organizer of the Walloon Petitioning, is one of the consequences of the strike just as this at the same time ideological and sociological phenomenon named Renardisme (of the name of André Renard Walloon trade-union main leader), combining social claim and Walloon autonomism. Although the MPW refused until the end to form a political party, the success which it obtained by organizing the petitioning of 1963 (650.000 signatures for the federalism), the rupture between many socialist sydicalists and the Socialist party (with the capacity and opposed to any reform of the State in a federal direction), the exacerbation of certain Community questions like the Fourons or the expulsion of the Walloon students of Leuwen, the electoral rise of the Volksunie in Flanders, the aggravation of the economic difficulties of Wallonia would have finally consequences on the electoral and political level.

Since 1968 the Walloon Gathering with FDF and Volksunie was going to reinforce considerably the partisans of the federalism at the Belgian Parliament. The reform of the State - however timid - voted at the Parliament during the legislature 1968-1971, engaged a series of reforms of the Belgian State (in 1980,1988,1993,1999), which are not completed and which gradually transferred a half of old national competences to the hands of the federate entities. Although the bond between the left and the Walloon Movement, very Net in the years 1960, weakened today, FGTB Walloon residence a trade-union force which counts and remains also faithful to the ideals renardists, while having undergone like the other labor movements the sociological changes which are also those of the working class and the work world in general.

Cinema

Vechten voor eleven rechten ( To fight for our rights ), 1962, of Frans Buyens, 60 minutes, assembly of Found footage on this general strike
Winter 60 , 1982, of Thierry Michel, 90 minutes, documented fiction illustrating remarkably this strike.

See too

Internal bonds

Walloon Movement
Renardisme

External bonds

Analysis of Ernest Mandel in Modern times.

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