Mercado de trabajo y acción sindical en la Argentina, 1890-1922

Abstract

The article analyzes the composition of the labor force at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in Argentina, describing the process of internal migrations and urbanization of the population that characterized this historical process. It debates with some historical interpretations of this process elaborated by militants of different political currents that generated a series of myths about the formation of the working class in Argentina, among them, the foreign character of most of the workers and their ideologies. In contrast, the native origin of a significant number of workers who formed the urban proletariat after the establishment of industries in the main urban centers (Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba) is recognized. The dynamics of the labor market are also characterized, identifying seasonal variations in supply and demand. In connection with these production conditions, the forms of organization and claims in the first strike movements that took place in the period are analyzed, recognizing productive sectors and predominant ideologies in them, as well as explaining the causes that provoked booms and declines in them.