Mine workers council elections in the First Czechoslovak Republic
Between 1920 and 1936 miners in Czechoslovakia elected representative councils.[1] Several different trade unions, representing various different political tendencies, contested the elections.
A law for work councils in the mining industry was passed in June, 1920, being the first such law in Czechoslovakia.[2] Councils were elected with tenures of two years.[3] Elections to local mining councils were held at all mines with 20 employees or more.[4] The condition to stand as a candidate was to be a Czechoslovak citizen aged 24 years or older, who had worked at the mine for minimum six months over the past 3 years.[4] In order to vote in the election one had to be a Czechoslovak citizen aged 18 years or older, and having worked at least three months in the past 2 years.[4] Each council had two advisers representing the management, one technical and one commercial.[4]
Results[edit]
Summary of 1928 election results[edit]
Per Dubský (1984), the elections held in 1928 yielded the following result across the country;
| Union | Political affiliation |
North Bohemia |
Falkenov | Plzeň | Kladno | Žacléř | Ostrava | Rosice- Oslavany |
Slovakia | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mezinárodní všeodborový svaz – sekce horníků ('International All-Union League - Miners Section') |
Communist | 115 | 10 | 18 | 66 | 3 | 125 | 21 | 34 | 392 |
| Svaz horníků v Československé republice ('Miners' Union of the Czechoslovak Republic') |
Czechoslovak Social Democrat | 56 | 34 | 27 | 1 | 130 | 42 | 79 | 369 | |
| Union der Bergarbeiter ('Union of Miners') |
German Social Democrat (DSAP) | 178 | 95 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 308 | |||
| Národní sdružení odborových organizací ('National Association of Trade Union Organizations') |
Czechoslovak National Democracy[5] | 12 | 12 | 1 | 50 | 75 | ||||
| Jednota horníků a hutníků ('Unity of Miners and Ironworkers') |
Czechoslovak National Socialist | 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 50 | |||
| Sdružení československých horníků ('Association of Czechoslovak Miners') |
Syndicalist[6] | 23 | 1 | 2 | 26 | |||||
| Deutschsozialistische Bergarbeiterverband ('German Socialist Miners' Union') |
German National Socialist | 22 | 3 | 25 | ||||||
| Svaz křesťanských horníků a hutníků ('Union of Christian Miners and Ironworkers') |
Czechoslovak People's Party[7][8][9] | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 23 | |||
| Others | 14 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 37 | |||||
| Total | 451 | 126 | 72 | 109 | 20 | 341 | 65 | 121 | 1,305 |
Results in 3 Bohemian districts 1924-1936[edit]
Per Oellermann (2013), having slightly different estimates than Dubský, the work council elections in Northern Bohemia, Falkenov and Trautenau had the following composition;
Northern Bohemia[edit]
| Union | Political affiliation |
1924 | 1926 | 1929 | 1931 | 1933 | 1936 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union der Bergarbeiter ('Union of Miners') |
German Social Democrat | 204 | 188 | 180 | 162 | 123 | 132 |
| Svaz horníků v Československé republice ('Miners' Union of the Czechoslovak Republic') |
Czechoslovak Social Democrat | 60 | 58 | 54 | 59 | 55 | 62 |
| Sdružení československých horníků ('Association of Czechoslovak Miners') |
Syndicalist | 50 | 35 | 12 | |||
| Mezinárodní všeodborový svaz – sekce horníků ('International All-Union League - Miners Section') |
Communist | 86 | 97 | 113 | |||
| Průmyslový svaz horníků ('Industrial Miners' Union') |
Communist | 86 | 78 | 46 | |||
| Jednota horníků a hutníků ('Unity of Miners and Ironworkers') |
Czechoslovak National Socialist | 30 | 30 | 31 | 44 | 39 | 35 |
| Deutschsozialistische Bergarbeiterverband ('German Socialist Miners' Union') |
German National Socialist | 25 | 24 | 21 | 38 | 67 |
Falkenov[edit]
| Union | Political affiliation |
1924 | 1926 | 1929 | 1931 | 1933 | 1936 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union der Bergarbeiter ('Union of Miners') |
German Social Democrat | 102 | 10 | 95 | 89 | 87 | 66 |
| Svaz horníků v Československé republice ('Miners' Union of the Czechoslovak Republic') |
Czechoslovak Social Democrat | 4 | 2 | ||||
| Mezinárodní všeodborový svaz – sekce horníků ('International All-Union League - Miners Section') |
Communist | 3 | 6 | 10 | |||
| Průmyslový svaz horníků ('Industrial Miners' Union') |
Communist | 5 | 8 | 6 | |||
| Deutschsozialistische Bergarbeiterverband ('German Socialist Miners' Union') |
German National Socialist | 3 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Deutschen Arbeitergewerkschaft ('German Workers Trade Union') |
Sudeten German Party[11] | 35 | |||||
| Fachverbandes der Berg- und Hüttenarbeiter u.v.B. „Solidarität“ ('Trade Union of Miners, Ironworkers and related professions "Solidarity"') |
25 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 12 |
Tratenau[edit]
| Union | Political affiliation |
1924 | 1926 | 1929 | 1931 | 1933 | 1936 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union der Bergarbeiter ('Union of Miners') |
German Social Democrat | 17 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Svaz horníků v Československé republice ('Miners' Union of the Czechoslovak Republic') |
Czechoslovak Social Democrat | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sdružení československých horníků ('Association of Czechoslovak Miners') |
Syndicalist | 4 | |||||
| Mezinárodní všeodborový svaz – sekce horníků ('International All-Union League - Miners Section') |
Communist | 8 | 4 | 3 | |||
| Průmyslový svaz horníků ('Industrial Miners' Union') |
Communist | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||
| Jednota horníků a hutníků ('Unity of Miners and Ironworkers') |
Czechoslovak National Socialist | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| Deutschsozialistische Bergarbeiterverband ('German Socialist Miners' Union') |
German National Socialist | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | |
| Národní sdružení ('National Association') |
Czechoslovak National Democracy | 1 | 4 | 4 | |||
| Verband der christlichen Berg. und Hüttenarbeiter ('Union of Christian Miners and Ironworkers') |
German Christian-Social | 2 | 5 | ||||
| Independents | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Vladimír Dubský (1984). Závodní výbory a rady v předmnichovském Československu. Práce. p. 271, 274.
- ^ Boris Stern (1925). Works Council Movement in Germany. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 95.
- ^ Sociálni ústav C ̆eskoslovenské Republiky, Prague (1924). Social Policy in the Czechoslovak Republic. "Orbis" publishing Company. p. 80.
- ^ a b c d The Czechoslovak Review. Bohemian Review Company. 1924. p. 153.
- ^ Joan Campbell; John P. Windmuller (1992). European Labor Unions. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-313-26371-2.
- ^ Masaryk University. Sdružení československých horníků - představitelé revolučního syndikalismu
- ^ Masarykova akademie präce, Prague. Üstav pro technichë hospodärs̈tvï prümyslovë (1925). Knihovna. p. 160.
- ^ Ročenka Československé republiky. 1926. p. 194.
- ^ Miloš Trapl (1995). Political Catholicism and the Czechoslovak People's Party in Czechoslovakia, 1918-1938. Social Science Monographs. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-88033-306-1.
- ^ a b c Oellerman, Thomas. Mehr als nur eine Partei. Die deutsche Sozialdemokratie in der Tschechoslowakischen Republik 1918-1938
- ^ Peter Glotz (1990). München 1938: das Ende des alten Europa. R. Hobbing. p. 189. ISBN 978-3-920460-55-0.